Happiness in your heart
by es133
Summary: What if Charlotte suffered from a curious heart condition where the disease's symptoms are exacerbated by the heartache of Sidney's engagement to Eliza? Will they get their happy ending?
1. Happiness in your heart

Chapter 1- Flashback

'Mr Heywood', says the doctor,' you have a healthy and beautiful baby girl. However, I have detected a murmur in her heart. It will not stop her from living a full and fulfilling life. There will be times, though, when this murmur will affect her. Those times are when she experiences heartbreak or extremely strong emotions. The result will be loss of consciousness and in extreme circumstances a long-lasting coma. Therefore, it is vital that she is made aware of this condition and that she protects herself from such distress. Do all you can to prevent them from occurring. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this condition. She will live as long as God intends for her to do so. Love and cherish her as long as you are able.'

Mr and Mrs Heywood gasped at those words. They looked at their little girl and cried for the unfairness of it all. This precious babe with so much and so little life at the same time. 'Thank you doctor', Mr Heywood responded, 'we will take your advice and love her for as long as she is with us.'

This discussion actually took place nine years before this current time. Charlotte is now nine years old. A happier, healthier and more content little girl one could not find. She ran through the fields, took care of her siblings, hunted rabbits, went fishing and helped run the Heywood household.

The Heywoods now had 10 children. However, they never forgot the doctor's advice. They loved all their children equally, but they somehow made sure that Charlotte was always surrounded by happiness. No sadness of extra upset was to reach their household if it could be avoided. Living in the countryside really helped with that as it was a healthy albeit hard existence. The family was not rich by any means, but they all worked really hard to support their tenants, run their farm and be good to the people around them. They always helped people in need and for that quality alone if not for all their other admirable characteristics, their neighbours valued them immensely.

Charlotte was told of her condition when she reached her tenth birthday. Her parents took her out for a picnic to share the news with her.

'Charlotte', Mr Heywood offered, 'we are going for a picnic just the three of us, your mother, yourself and myself to celebrate your birthday. Would you like that?'

Charlotte's response was enthusiastic 'Oh papa.' Charlotte said, 'that would be heavenly!'

'Excellent', Mrs Heywood replied, 'we will go in half an hour.'

Chapter 2- Flashback 2

It was a beautifully, sunny spring day and both Charlotte and her parents thoroughly enjoyed their walk. They went to a field full of daisies near the brook. One could see the butterflies and bees moving from flower to flower joyfully as if they shared their visitors' joy enjoyment for the beautiful day.

Charlotte delighted at the sight. She could name every species of butterfly and bee by heart as all the Heywood children were home-educated. Their parents helped them learn all the different sciences by using the natural environment around their home. Charlotte especially loved anything to do with medicinal plants and animals. Her parents looked at her proudly enumerating all the different species. What a clever daughter they had!

'Shall we sit here to have some lunch, Charlotte? What do you think?' Mrs Heywood asked her daughter.

'Yes, mama. I am mighty hungry!', Charlotte responded.

They had their lunch and feasted on Mrs Heywood's apple pie and double chocolate cake- Charlotte's favourite as she had a sweet tooth she inherited from her papa. Both desserts were delicious as Mrs Heywood was the best baker in the entire county winning prizes every year at the county's farmer fair.

They also updated each other on the past week's news in Willingden. Nothing was left undiscussed. Charlotte felt it was wonderful to have her parents' full attention. They never neglected her, and she knew they loved her. However, she did have 10 other siblings, so this made it difficult to get them to herself. She truly cherished the times when that happened.

After all three of them have eaten to their hearts' content, they lied on blanket and looked at the blue sky admiring the different-shaped clouds. It was one of their favourite games to name which animal each cloud reminded them of. It was great fun.

At some point Mr Heywood said, 'Charlotte, there is something that both your mother and myself would like to speak to you about.'

'Yes, papa,' Charlotte responded, 'what is it?'

'Well,' Mr Heywood continued, 'it is something that we found out when you were first born. You are a healthy little girl who is growing up fast and who is going to become a teenager soon. We cannot prevent this from happening but there is something that you need to know.'

Charlotte was intrigued and she looked to her mother for a clue on what this could be. Mrs Heywood looked sad. Mr Heywood pressed on saying 'The doctor told us that you will live a happy and healthy life. However, he cautioned us that you have a murmur in your heart. Its existence will not normally affect you in normal circumstances. It will not stop you from doing whatever you want to achieve in your life.

The only times that this murmur will manifest its presence in its most devastating way is when you experience extremely strong emotions such as heartbreak. Should that happen in its mild form, you will faint and lose consciousness. In this case, it will be a temporary condition and it is very likely that no further harm will come to you. However, should it be the case that the emotion is stronger, then this murmur could put you into a long-lasting coma.'

Mr Heywood took a break from speaking for a moment. He looked at his wife pleadingly asking her to continue explaining further. Mrs Heywood understood and continued speaking.

'Charlotte darling,' Mrs Heywood said 'we hope that you may never experience this sort of heartbreak. We pray that you will not because we love you very much so it would kill us to lose you. However, we are not fools to think that you will not meet a young man to fall in love with when you grow older. It is unrealistic for us to think that.

All we ask is that you are cautious whom you give your heart to. It is not of course something that you can control. Falling in love is like the measles. It cannot be controlled. We only ask that you are careful.'

Charlotte was stunned. Of all the things that she expected to hear, this was not it. She stuttered, tearing running down her cheeks. The unfairness of it all!

'Do my siblings know?' she asked her parents tentatively. Mr Heywood responded 'No, none of them do. Nor will they ever find out unless under extenuating circumstances for example should the worse happen.'

Charlotte did not know whether to be relieved or not. She continued thinking frantically how to deal with this. Then came to her this important question in mind.

'Is there a cure for this condition?' she asked. Her parent shook their head sadly.

Mrs Heywood responded 'No, my sweet. There was no cure when you were born. This does not mean of course that there will not be one in future.'

This piece of news devastated Charlotte. So unfair! Yes, she consoled herself that she has already lived 10 years of her life with no incident. She loved her life as it was. The worst-case scenario would be that she would never fall in love. As her parents said one never knows when it is to happen. She reasoned to herself that it was a good thing that she was not made for unhappiness. She should always try to be happy then.

Her parents were looking at her thinking. If they knew their daughter well enough, she was in the process of concocting her own plan to increase her longevity. They were not wrong.

She smiled at them broadly, wiped her tear-stained cheeks and stated 'Thank you both for telling me. I cannot change the diagnosis, but nothing is stopping me from not living my life as I should. I promise you this- I will only think of things that give me pleasure- this way this horrible murmur will not touch me.'

Her parents smiled at her. That was their Charlotte. They would keep her happy and content if they could. They gathered their things and went home.

Years went past. All went well for the Heywood family. Charlotte was now 18 years old. She was a beautiful, young woman with a smile you could not resist. She lived her life to the full as she had promised her parents. She was never, ever sad. All her family, neighbours and friends adored her for her caring and steady personality.

Chapter 3- The engagement

'My dearest, loveliest Charlotte' says Sidney looking at her beautiful doe eyes, 'it was my intention to come back from London and make you an offer of marriage as I love you dearly.'

Charlotte held her breath. She knew there was a 'but' somewhere. She kept looking at him without uttering a word.

Sidney stopped momentarily. He dared not continue. He was dying inside but he had to set her free. He had to say it.

'Charlotte,' Sidney explained, 'I went to every bank in London. None of them would help either Tom or Sanditon. I was desperate for a solution when Eliza suddenly showed up at Bedford Place. She said that she would invest in Sanditon under one condition. This condition was for me to marry her. She put her point forward in such a way that I had no choice but to agree. Tom has helped me so much before I left for Antigua. I could not simply let him go to the poorhouse. I dreaded to think what would have become of Mary and the children if I had let this happen.'

Charlotte was stunned. She was briefly transported at that picnic with her parents when she was 10 years old. She remembered what they told her and what would happen if heartbreak set in. She never told him about it. She saw no need as she really did not expect this development. She expected to be with him as she also loved him, and he was the other half of her soul.

She kept thinking- still as a statue. Sidney kept repeating her name, but she was paying him no mind. How could he say that he loved her? Surely, if he had taken her with him, she could have spoken to Susan. Susan might have helped or if now she might have known who could have helped raise the money. Instead, he left her to go to London and get himself engaged to Eliza Campion. Did he not learn his lesson from the first time that Eliza had hurt him? Did he not realise that she would do again?

She didn't realise that she has started crying. Sidney could not make sense of this. Charlotte was not responding to his pleas. Charlotte simply continued thinking not realising that a feeling of warmth and dizziness pervaded her. Her left arm felt numb suddenly. She could at first not account for the reason. Then, it came to her. She knew then what her parent meant. The murmur-the heartbreak. It has hit its mark. She could not say a word- she never did as the darkness took over and she collapsed right in front of Sidney outside the entrance of Tom's office.

Sidney did not expect this. Charlotte, his Charlotte, has just collapsed in front of him. He has done this to her! He managed to catch her before she hit her head and call for Mary loudly.

Chapter 4- The Aftermath

'Mary! Come quick and get Dr Fuchs. Miss Heywood is unwell'

Mary ran to Sidney and found him holding Charlotte, crying over her and begging her to open her eyes. She knew the truth then. Sidney did not love Eliza- he only proposed to her to save Tom and Sanditon. He loved Charlotte and she loved him back in return.

Tom entered the room as well and stood as still as a statue. He could not make sense of this. All he could see was his brother holding an unconscious Charlotte asking her to wake up and telling her how much he loved her.

Tom's brain went into overdrive- how about Eliza Campion? How about Sanditon? Tom's thoughts were jumbled. What was going on?

In all this confusion, Sidney would allow no-one take Charlotte from him. He kept thinking- she is not waking up! Oh God! Please don't take her from me. I could not live without her. Even if I must live a miserable life with Eliza, let her be well and live.

Dr Fuchs arrived and instructed that they move Charlotte to her bedroom. He asked everyone apart from Mary to leave the room so that he could examine his patient.

In the meantime, Sidney went to his room feeling very much like a spare wheel. He kept pacing back and forth, muttering to himself, whilst fat tears were gracing his cheeks. That was the scene that Tom found when he reached Sidney's room.

Tom entered after Sidney bid him in the room. He did not know what to say to his brother. He didn't understand so he ventured asking Sidney what has happened.

Sidney turned sharply to attention at this question. His response was filled with controlled anger waiting to spill out.

'What happened, Tom, was that I have just told Charlotte, my beautiful Charlotte, the only woman that I will ever love, that I have been obliged to engage myself to Eliza for her money in order to save you from the poorhouse. I sold my soul to Eliza for your £80,000 debt. And now… and now… my Charlotte collapsed. As a result of this, I do not know when or even if I will ever see or speak to her again! What would you have done if that was Mary, Tom? Would you have borne it? Tell me is your brother's happiness more or less important to you than Sanditon? I do not love Eliza- I only live for Charlotte. Do you even care Tom? Or do you just care about yourself? Do you care about your wife and children? If you had done so, then you would have bought the insurance despite the high premiums. This would have saved everybody from a lot of heartache and loss.'

Sidney ran out of breath after expressing all the pent feelings that have been brewing in him since the fire broke out. He tears kept coming during that speech but some of the pressure he has been feeling lifted slightly.

Tom was speechless. He was deeply ashamed. He muttered a simple 'I am sorry brother…' and drifted out of Sidney's room with the weight of the whole world on his shoulders. He went to his study, poured himself a brandy and looked at the blank wall.

Chapter 5- Charlotte's diagnosis

In the meantime, Dr Fuchs was having no luck waking Charlotte up. He tried every possible way in his disposal. He then thought that he ought to listen to her heart. The more he listened to its beats which were uneven and out of time, the more he came to the realisation that he could not help her. It was the murmur. He has seen this condition only once when he was a student in Germany.

He knew that there was a heart specialist in London, but would he come to Sanditon? He only dealt with the beau monde and neither Miss Heywood not the Parkers would be able to afford his services. She really did need to be treated by him. He took a break from his thoughts and addressed a very concerned Mary Parker.

'Frau Parker, this is not good. Fraulein Heywood is suffering from a rare heart condition with no known cure. It is caused when extreme upset takes place, so this has put her in a long-lasting coma. I do not know whether she will wake up from it or not. The only thing we can do is feed her fortifying broth, keep her warm and comfortable. She should not be left by herself at any point. Someone should read or speak to her- it may be especially helpful if that person cares for her. This might induce her to wake up sooner than later. Please also contact her parents as this will speed her recovery up.'

Mary was horrified at this piece of news. She asked Dr Fuchs, 'Is there no other person who can help her?'

The good doctor hesitated before suggesting that there was a heart specialist in London whose fees were very expensive, so he only treated wealthy customers. He knew this was not very helpful but perhaps Frau Parker had some connections in the capital that could help the young lady.

This was not the response Mary was hoping to hear. She sat on the nearest chair and tried to be practical by putting into place Dr Fuchs's instructions for Charlotte's comfort. She advised the maid to get some broth ordered, feed it to Charlotte a spoonful at a time and read something soothing to her until Mary herself returned to the room. Dr Fuchs excused himself saying that he would return tomorrow to check up on Miss Heywood.

She then went to spend some time with her children and tell them about Charlotte. They would be very upset, but it was important that they do not come into her room uninvited to disturb her recovery. This was easy. They were young and they would recover. However, the most difficult task would be to break the news to both her husband and Sidney. She really dreaded Sidney's reaction to the news as his reaction to unpleasant news was unpredictable at the best of times.

Chapter 6- Sidney's and Tom's reactions to the diagnosis

Mary Parker came out of the nursery with revived spirits despite everything. The elasticity of youth allowed her children to take the news better than expected. They started working on some happy drawings for Charlotte to give them to her when she awoke. She then knocked on Sidney's room door and asked him to join them downstairs at Tom's office. Sidney followed behind her like a recalcitrant pouty child who has just had his toy taken away from him not knowing whether he would get it back.

Mary lost no time to recount Dr Fuchs's diagnosis and his advice for Charlotte's recovery to both of them. She repeated to them exactly what Dr Fuchs said in as many details as she could muster.

On the one hand, on hearing the news Sidney collapsed on the chair behind him, put his hands through his hair and started crying quietly. On the other hand, Tom wanted the earth to open and swallow him whole as he stood there. He kept thinking 'I caused this to the people whom I love just for the sake of a seaside town. Charlotte is in a coma with no immediate prospects of waking up and Sidney is about to slip away just like her soon enough'. Luckily for him he never uttered those words aloud as Sidney would have been more than willing to beat him to a pulp. He was in such a turmoil.

Chapter 7- Nothing is done, until it is well done

Tom came out of his thoughts for a moment when Mary mentioned that someone had to go and get her Charlotte's parents. Sidney knew that he could not do so – not as a newly engaged man to another woman no less. It would cause a scandal and that would not be good for Charlotte's reputation. Therefore, he did not comment upon Mary's request though he heard it clearly.

Tom, however, came to the rescue despite himself. He remembered how fond Lady Susan Worcester was of Charlotte. She would want to help her if she could. She may even consider getting this London doctor on her behalf. One only had to ask. Yes, this was a good plan. He could write to her. He would then go to Willingden to fetch Charlotte's parents.

Tom voiced his thoughts to the inhabitants of the room. He got no response from Sidney- he was deep in thought not paying any particular attention to his whereabouts. It was literally the same expression after Eliza Campion left him broken hearted all those years ago. Tom thought he really needed to contact Lord Babington and Mr Crowe. That could wait though. Charlotte's health was the priority at present.

Mary watched all this happen feeling very proud of her husband. He finally understood the effect his decisions had on the people around him. She volunteered to write to Lady Susan herself providing Tom left for Willingden straightaway. This is exactly what happened.

Sidney did not move from where he was sitting throughout all this crucial decision-making process. He kept thinking that this was it. He then thought of how disappointed his Charlotte would be if he started his binging and gambling again. He thought that this London doctor may help her. Hope was there but he had to become a free man again. No matter what the price. He would break his engagement to Eliza. He could help Mary and the children- Tom should face the music and live in the poorhouse for a bit. It might bring him down a peg or two. Sidney would no longer sacrifice his happiness seeing what it is costing his Charlotte. It was his fault and by god he would fix it.

Therefore, he sat on Tom's desk and started his letter to Eliza. It was blunt and to the point- he explained that he was breaking their engagement and explained that her financial contribution was no longer necessary for Sanditon.

He really owed her no real explanation anyway. She was cruel and unfeeling to everybody who did not serve a purpose for her and most especially to Charlotte. Nobody said he had forgiven her of her ridiculing Charlotte at the tent on the day of the Regatta. Eliza would recover very nicely indeed. He had no doubt of that.

He also had no care for his reputation. He was considered a broody scoundrel anyway- why change that anytime soon? He could live without his reputation but not without having Charlotte in his life. That was no life that was hell on earth.

He only realised that he was by himself in the room once he finished his letter. He asked the maid to send it out by messenger post haste. He then thought of Charlotte. Another thing he could do is read or speak to her. She may respond and she could then see her beautiful smile again. He would also tell her that he broke his engagement to Eliza. That would help as well.

All this proactiveness made him feel good. He was taking positive steps towards his happiness. It would take time, but he would get there eventually. He really needed a bath, some food and a nap so he betook himself to his hotel. After a bit of tender loving care to his bruised self, his frame of mind improved considerably. He started making his way towards Trafalgar House to pay Charlotte a visit and inform Mary of his decision. It was really a good thing Tom was away. He was not in the right frame of mind to even look at his older brother's face.

Chapter 8- Discussions and Resolutions

Mary met him at the door and invited him to join her for some tea. He accepted her invitation willingly. It was awkward between them though and this was felt by both of them. She did not know how to apologise to her brother-in-law for all the pain that they had caused him, and Sidney did not know how to tell her that he was to send her husband to the poorhouse. Sidney wished for brandy instead of a cup of tea just for a touch of Dutch courage.

She gave him his cup- black with a touch of milk and no sugar- she always did know how to get his cup of tea just right which was vastly appreciated by him. He has lost count how many badly-served tea services he has had to endure during the London season, so this was truly a breath of fresh air. Mary sighed and said to him 'Sidney, I wrote to Lady Susan asking her to contact the doctor Dr Fuchs recommended. I sent it as an express. Tom has already left for Willingden to fetch Charlotte's parents here.'

Sidney saw his chance and asked hesitantly how she was. He looked into his cup so that his sister-in-law could not see the desperation in his eyes for any news of Charlotte at all. She understood and felt for him. Propriety would not have allowed him to ask her unless he volunteered the information herself. She responded in return 'She is much the same. Betsy is sitting with her for the time being. She is as comfortable as we can possibly make her at present as per Dr Fuchs's instructions.'

Sidney sighed inwardly. He could say nothing to that. He ventured to ask instead 'Do you think that I would be allowed to see her and read to her with Betsy in the room?' He had the same look as little Henry when he was asking for an extra chocolate biscuit. Mary simply said 'Yes, of course, Sidney. She would enjoy that.'

She took her courage in both hands and said to him 'I have long wanted to apologise to you on behalf of Tom. He does love you, but he is not always mindful or attentive of other people's feelings or sorrows. He finally saw the error of his ways earlier today. He did not mean to separate either Charlotte or yourself from each other. It is just that Sanditon has been his dream, aye, his passion for such a long time that he has lost track of what is truly important.'

Sidney was taking a sip from his teacup when she delivered this little speech and it caused him to sputter his tea all over his coat and up his nose. It was the most uncomfortable feeling. He parroted 'How … how long have you known?' His cheeks were bright red.

She knew he was a very private person who kept his feelings to himself. The blush on his cheeks was ample proof of that. She smiled at him the way only mothers can. 'I suspected for a while that you both had feelings for each other, but my suspicions were confirmed when Charlotte collapsed earlier today.'

Sidney did not know how one was to respond to that. He felt as if he had been caught stealing a biscuit. Well, ultimately, thinking to himself, what does it matter who know and who didn't. It is done.

'Well, yes,' he responded, 'I won't deny it, Mary. I broke my engagement with Eliza via letter. She is going to be furious with me. You do realise that this means that Tom is likely to end up in the poorhouse because of his debts, don't you? Both the children and yourself can come to live with Arthur and Diana at Bedford Place in London. All the properties here in Sanditon would need to be sold to raise some capital to cover the owed amount.'

Mary sighed resignedly 'Yes, I thought as much. No fear. We shall adjust accordingly.' Sidney was beyond relieved. At least that was sorted. Oh, wait. The children. He had not asked how they were. 'How are they taking the news of Miss Heywood's illness?' Mary responded 'They were upset but they took it as well as it can be expected. They were so full of optimism that Charlotte will recover that they feel drawing some magic pictures might just do the trick. If only it worked like that. Life would be much easier for everyone concerned.'

Chapter 9 – Flying over a field of daisies

Whilst the air was being cleared between Mary and Sidney, Charlotte felt as a light as a feather seeing that she was floating from side to side above a field of daisies near a pond. Home… Willingden… of course. She was back there. Or was she? When did she learn to fly? It must be one of her new talents.

Well, she could smell the sea. Willingden is not located near the seaside. Was she still in Sanditon then? How was that possible? There are no daisies in Sanditon. Oh, how infuriatingly frustrating! She absolutely detested being confused about anything let alone her whereabouts.

Wait… she could hear another sound. Ah, someone is reading to her. Who might that be? Charlotte! Concentrate, will you? Yes, of course. It was Betsy, her maid. She was reading a passage from the bible to me and feeding me small drops of broth at intervals. The broth was just what Charlotte needed. She was thirsty. She also enjoyed being read to very much- it was actually surprising how pleasing and soothing Betsy's voice was. Thus, reassured and pampered, she continued floating without a care in the world- she had all she needed right here. Bliss!

Chapter 10- Lady Susan Worcester

Lady Susan was sitting in her sitting room when Mary Parker's missive reached her. She was so shocked that she dropped her teacup on the floor. She called her maid, asked her to prepare her trunk for a long stay and asked for outerwear as well as her carriage.

Oh, poor Charlotte! What a shock! A collapse was all that was all the poor girl needed after Sidney Parker trampled on her heart as if it were a pile of stones! It cannot be a fib, though. Mary Parker is too sensible and sensitive a soul for false alarms.

Lady Susan was more than worried about her friend. She wanted to help her. Therefore, she started thinking and planning ahead. She needed to get to Harley Street to see Dr Levinson as soon as possible. She could do this for Charlotte. Her parents would never be able to afford his fees, but this did not mean that she could not. After all, she already considered her as the daughter she was never privileged to have.

By the time, she decided all this, the carriage had already been in place to take her to Harley Street. She got there in no time at all. Luckily, she found him in his surgery between visits and she explained Charlotte's condition to him. She was gratified to see that he was interested in following her to Sanditon and helping her friend.

Dr Levinson cancelled his remaining patient visits for a couple of weeks. He felt really sorry for this girl and he was really not an unfeeling person. However, he was so excited in being given the opportunity to observe this illness that he was even thinking of not charging his fees at all. After all, some medical cases should simply be taken up just to broaden one's horizons and education. This was indeed such a case.

Both Lady Susan and the doctor were on their way to Sanditon within a couple of hours of the grand lady's visit to the surgery. It should only take them an hour or two and they should arrive just on time for tea.

The trip itself was not unpleasant for either traveller. Dr Levinson was a very-well-educated man and Lady Susan enjoyed nothing more than holding an intelligent conversation. She asked all the necessary information on Charlotte's illness and kept thinking of ways to assist her recovery. If not just for the sake of Charlotte Heywood but also for the sake of Sidney Parker. She had already heard the rumours Mrs Campion was spreading in London against him and Sanditon. The engagement was off and if Lady Susan had anything to do with it, it would stay like that.

Lady Susan suspected that she would be able to assist both in a financial and medical way on this occasion. The Regent did after all show an interest in this quaint seaside town after she informed him on how well the summer Regatta was received. He was bored of Brighton and its shallowness. He has, therefore, already given her a cheque for £120,000.

That should cover both the presumed pending debt, the insurance for the project and any repairs from the fire. It would be, what you say, a clean slate, providing Sidney Parker agreed to be in charge of the financial details of the project and agree to an end-of-summer ball on the Regent's honour. She might even be tempted to try the bathing machines herself, who knows? Charlotte did say that it did her the world of good.

Chapter 11- Willingden

The mood was not as optimistic in the carriage going to Willingden. Tom did not have the same pleasure as Lady Susan and Dr Levinson. He was left to his own gloomy thoughts. He kept thinking what possessed him to make such a mess of things. How could she put his wife, his three adorable children, Sidney and Charlotte in such a situation?

He was not so insensitive as people as thought he was. He adored his family. He was grateful for them and especially of their support and loyalty to him. However, one of his faults- yes, it was indeed a fault- was that he missed seeing the big picture and he only focussed on his current goal- Sanditon. In other words, his short-sightedness was his own damnation.

All those gloomy thoughts were poor company Tom. It took two hours to reach Willingden. It was four in the afternoon when his carriage reached the neat and tidy-looking whitewashed Heywood Manor. The house was surrounded by small raised gardening beds- one for each of the family's children. He briefly wondered which one was Charlotte's. Did she like growing flowers or vegetables? All of them were full of new plants peeping out of the ground ready to greet the sun.

Tom could see five of Charlotte's siblings working on the respective patches of land. The children looked up surprised as the family was not really expecting any visitors. When the carriage made its entrance in the yard, Anne-Marie- one of the children- ran to fetch her mother.

Tom saw Mrs Heywood wearing a white apron covered in flour- she must have been baking, thought he to himself- coming out of the door to greet him. He hesitated. How could he tell this mother of 11 children that he was responsible for the near demise of her eldest one seeing that both parents have entrusted him with Charlotte's care in Sanditon?

Mrs Heywood looked at Tom and she expected to see Charlotte with him as well. When she only saw Tom Parker, she started fretting inside. Why was he here without her daughter? Where was she? Her last letter to the family was a happy one. What could have changed since then? Her motherly instinct warned her that something was terribly wrong. Therefore, she asked little Anne-Marie to get her papa from the study immediately.

Tom approached Mrs Heywood and asked whether he could speak to them on a matter of extreme importance in private. Just this request terrified the poor lady! - Tom certainly noticed it as her eyes literally bulged out of her head. - It has happened, hasn't it? She had to compose herself. Panicking in front of her other children would not do anybody any good at all as they were not aware of Charlotte's condition. She took a deep breath and invited her guest to the study for some tea. She also asked Anne-Marie to continue with her gardening and keep an eye on her siblings stressing the fact that they were not to be disturbed.

Tom could not refuse the offer of repast as he was both physically and emotionally exhausted at this stage. Some strong tea may just give him enough courage to explain things to Charlotte's parents. All three adults were in the study. Tom narrated what happened to the Heywoods after all the social niceties were out of the way.

Mrs Heywood started crying and Mr Heywood was not far behind. They both realised that they had to get to Charlotte. Their practical nature won over their grief, so a plan was quickly put in place. This would be a sad parting for the Heywood husband and spouse- they have not been apart ever since they got married to each other. However, their daughter needed them, so they simply had to endure it.

Mrs Heywood wiped her eyes, she had another cup of tea to collect herself and went to fetch her two daughters. An introduction was in order of the second eldest- her name was Alison. She was 17 years old and very close to Charlotte. The third eldest child was Emily, who was 16 years old. Both of those children were told of Charlotte's illness asking them to keep it a secret from the rest of the family. They promised to do just that.

The plan was this: Mrs Heywood and Alison were to travel with Tom to Sanditon. Mr Heywood was to be left behind as he was to take care both the farm and the rest of the children with Emily's help. All the necessary preparations took but an hour before the travellers were on their way. Mrs Heywood promised her husband to send the whole family an update on Charlotte's condition as soon as she had one.

Everyone was silent in the carriage. Neither Mrs Heywood nor Alison knew what to make of this- they did not want to blame anybody. They wanted to see Charlotte. All this extreme distress lulled all three onto a restorative sleep that they would certainly need before dealing with the crisis waiting for them upon reaching their destination.

Chapter 12- Georgiana

Despite all those various events that were in motion at the same time, Georgiana was completely in the dark of Charlotte's condition and Sidney was on his way to tell her of it.

She was reading a book in her room- well, at least that was what she told Mrs Griffiths. In reality, she was sad and thinking of her beloved Otis. She was heartbroken that he had acted so even if it was not his true intention to put her life in danger. How could she still love him so much being fully aware of his horrible gambling habit? She sighed loudly- oh, she would never solve this conundrum!

Sidney knocked on her door just as she got up to put her book away finally giving up on it. She looked at him curiously and blurted out accusingly 'Sidney, what on earth are you doing here?'

Sidney could still not reconcile with Georgiana's poor opinion of him. He focused his attention on his black shiny boots trying very hard to contain his emotions before explaining further. He spoke once he felt more in command of himself 'Miss Heywood collapsed earlier today- she is critically ill. Dr Fuchs suggested that it would help her to have people around her who care for her in order to read or speak to her. Would you come and pay her a visit?' The last sentence came in a whisper from his mouth.

Georgiana did not like Sidney- he was bad news, a rogue and an even worse guardian. However, she adored Charlotte and it was painfully obvious that Sidney had strong feelings for her friend as well. 'Charlotte! She collapsed!' exclaimed she. 'Of course, I will. Let me get my spencer and bonnet to accompany you to Trafalgar House.' She rushed around the room to gather the said items along with 'Camila'- the book Charlotte and herself were reading at her last visit at Mrs Griffiths.

Sidney was quiet on their way to Tom's and Georgiana was too shocked at the turn of events to utter a single word to her guardian. What could she possible say to him, she wondered?

Chapter 13- The Fairy Godmother is here

Lady Susan's grand carriage entered Sanditon in all its glory. The local residents who already knew that Tom Parker had already asked Dr Fuchs to visit Trafalgar House wondered at this coincidence. What business did Lady Susan of all people, the Regent's presumed favourite lady, have in Sanditon? Anyhow, they could wait. They would pepper Dr Fuchs with questions as soon as the visit ended. Patience is a virtue after all.

Sidney Parker and Georgiana were about to enter the house when they saw the said carriage stop outside the house's entrance. To their amazement, there came out Lady Susan and another gentleman whom Sidney presumed was the London specialist whom Mary asked Lady Susan about.

Sidney bowed politely and Georgiana curtseyed out of respect for Lady Susan's higher rank. The lady herself was going to have none of that. 'Mr Sidney Parker, Miss Lambe,' she said, 'well met. You can give me an update on Charlotte's health.'

'Lady Susan,' Sidney responded, 'we were about to seek the same information from Dr Fuchs ourselves. Please do join us for some refreshments.'

So it was that Mary called for tea and asked her guests whether they would like to refresh themselves from the trip in one of the guest rooms. Both Lady Susan and Dr Levinson declined as they seemed more interested in speaking to Dr Fuchs. At the mention of his name, there Dr Fuchs appeared as per magic. His ears must have been burning! He wanted to check on how Miss Heywood's progress.

Mary made the necessary introductions and invited Dr Fuchs to join them for tea. He assented gladly. He repeated to the present company -Lady Susan, Dr Levinson, Sidney, Mary and Georgiana- his findings from when he examined Charlotte for the first time. He said that he was about to go check on the young lady and invited Dr Levinson to join him. Both medical professionals asked Mary to join them to maintain propriety. She, as the hostess, of course agreed and all three departed for Charlotte's room.

This only people left in the small sitting room was Sidney, Lady Susan and Georgiana. Georgiana excused herself to check up on the Parker children. She had the acute sensation that this grand lady of the Ton was about to grill Sidney Parker alive which proved her to be more than a match for her presumably fearsome guardian. She was simply glad to escape when she could.

Chapter 14- Lady Susan delivers

The moment Lady Susan and Sidney were by the themselves in the room, she went on the offensive 'Mr Sidney Parker, do me the honour to explain yourself. Pray leave no details unsaid.'

Sidney could not say that he did not expect this from her. She was very protective of Charlotte which was proven more than adequately on the day of the Regatta and the incident on the tent. Her censure of him was certainly very well deserved and he would not begrudge her this satisfaction. He took a glimpse at her, bowed his head dejectedly and rendered her with the required explanation.

She was a good listener- it was one of her many gifts. Therefore, she gave him her best attention. She did not interrupt him or posed any questions to stop his train of thoughts. She simply waited him out until he finished with his narrative.

When he did, she asked him, 'Mr Parker, thank you for this lengthy explanation. May I kindly ask why did you not look me up in London when you came to enquire over funding? A visit to me would have meant that Charlotte would not be in her current predicament.'

He blushingly responded, 'Lady Susan, I did not want to ask for charity.'

Her retort made him shiver, 'Is that really so? Is that why you ended up engaging yourself to Mrs Campion, the most vicious and unkind widow in London? She is worse than a loan shark- believe me they are kinder in comparison.

Yes, Mr Parker, I know exactly what happened. Charlotte is very important to me so keeping tabs on whoever might hurt her is of high priority for me. In fact, very little that happens in London escapes my notice.'

He was acutely embarrassed 'Yes, you are, of course, correct' and hung his head.

She really did feel sorry for him. She could not help herself, 'Well, Mr Parker, that is all water off the duck's back. It is in the past. As I have been told, that engagement has been broken, is that not so?'

His look of shock was hilarious. She actually laughed outright at him. She knew! Eliza has not even confirmed it in writing to him yet! How did she know?

'Mr Parker, the news of your broken engagement with Mrs Campion is one of the main topics of discussion in all the fashionable salons in London at present. All the matrons and unmarried maidens are talking about nothing else. You are the toast of the season, don't you know?

Mrs Campion has been spreading the news and volubly expressing her displeasure to anybody who would listen to her woes on how badly she has been treated. She hoped to cause you further damage by delaying her response to you and preventing you from making another attachment.'

He sighed, 'Yes, I did expect her to do that. I had no care for my reputation but truth to be told I was concerned for Miss Heywood's.'

'What Mrs Campion was doing could have proven catastrophic for all concerned under the circumstances.' she continued, 'I have already taken steps to stop her on her tracks to avoid further repercussions reaching either Charlotte's and your reputation as well as Sanditon chances of financial recovery.

She has been told to desist and not proceed further with her defamations otherwise she would be at risk of not being received by good society in London in future. She is a woman of fortune, but she is a woman. Her position is not as strong as a man's in the same situation. She is a clever and ambitious woman- she knew that I could make that happen and not to underestimate my power in the ton.

I do believe she is planning a trip abroad to expand her horizons further. It might just help her, don't you think?'

It was Lady Susan's turn to smile like a Cheshire cat and Sidney could not help but join her. It did feel good to have one less impediment to deal with. What a relief! No more vicious and underhand comments and shallow remarks to tolerate!

She changed the topic by asking about Sanditon. Sidney explained what he planned to do.

Her response surprised him, 'No matter how much dragging your brother to the poorhouse would be good for his inflated ego, there is no need to do so. He is a lucky albeit a silly man in that respect. He got away with it on this occasion.

The Regent fancied a change of air from Brighton, so he chose Sanditon. His Majesty has commissioned me to act on his behalf as the liaison on this project. Would you accept a cheque of £120,000 from him on the proviso that you, Mr Parker, and I repeat, not, Mr Tom Parker, take over the financial side of this Sanditon project?

There is also the small matter of hosting a small ball in honour of his grace at the end of the summer here in Sanditon, but I am confident suitable arrangements can be made accordingly.'

Sidney was speechless gaping like a fish out of water. He was also looking at Lady Susan as she had just grown two heads. He was beyond grateful and agreed to the terms instantly.

'Excellent, Mr Parker,' she chirped happily, 'I do have one more task for you before the cheque can be given to your hands. I am not willing to release any funding for this project unless the buildings are insured. I understand this is not the case at present.

This has to be a safe and waterproof investment to encourage future investors to Sanditon. Once it does, I will write to some contacts in London to encourage further investment- do expect a higher level of correspondence to reach you soon. Wherever the Regent goes, the investors follow.

Therefore, I would strongly recommend that you travel to London to make sure that happens. I shall stay in Sanditon to see to Charlotte's health in your absence. It should not take you more than a week to get this done. Be rest assured that you will be promptly notified at Bedford Place should an emergency arise regarding her health. She is in good hands.'

He expressed his gratitude to Lady Susan and took his leave of her. She wished him a successful trip and bid him good day. He then went to get Georgiana from the nursery- she was reading a story to the children when she entered. They were all fast asleep. He escorted her to Mrs Griffiths and gave her a summary of his discussion with Lady Susan. Georgiana was very pleased with those developments.

Sidney left Mrs Griffiths's abode feeling elated. Things were falling into place! Now to London! If only his love would wake up as well, then he would be the happiest man alive!

He went to his hotel room to prepare for this London trip. He took a bath, had a meal, packed an overnight bag and booked a space on the coach to London. He only needed some things as he kept most of his belongings at the Parker residence in London.

Therefore, he was found sitting on the coach heading to London being lulled to sleep only two hours after his talk with Lady Susan. He would sleep whilst he could. He would be a busy man once he reached his destination.

Chapter 15- Free as a bird Everyone Sang

BY SIEGFRIED SASSOON (1886-1967)

Everyone suddenly burst out singing;

And I was filled with such delight

As prisoned birds must find in freedom,

Winging wildly across the white

Orchards and dark-green fields; on - on - and out of sight.

Everyone's voice was suddenly lifted;

And beauty came like the setting sun:

My heart was shaken with tears; and horror

Drifted away ... O, but Everyone

Was a bird; and the song was wordless; the singing will never be done.

It was hard to believe that only a day had passed since Charlotte's collapse and how much for the better things have changed since then. The blessings have only been felt by poor Sidney so far. The rest was to come.

He was on his way to London travelling by coach that was being driven by four chestnut horses. They left on time and they were to make it to London within the pre-arranged time. He was travelling with one middle-aged gentleman who was accompanied by his wife and daughter. The ladies were sitting opposite Sidney and the gentleman next to him. He deduced from their tanned skin that they were holiday makers returning to London after spending some time near the seaside.

Sidney greeted all three with a slight bow and then drifted into his own private thoughts. Thinking made him look very cross and forbidding, which also made his co-travellers hesitant to start any conversation with him. Therefore, they, in turn, did not attempt the customary travel small talk spending the time admiring the seaside landscape out of the coach window instead.

If any of his fellow travellers were so inclined to ask him how he felt, he might have told them that he felt free as a bird and not cross or upset at all. In other words, he was simply overwhelmingly relieved and cautiously- oh, very cautiously- optimistic about his future. He felt as if he had just been pardoned for a grave crime that he had never committed and had just avoided life imprisonment.

His soul was singing aloud to the world that he was free again. It was free from any-previously-feared horrors and pain. It was free to love how and where it wished.

He was free to win his Charlotte back. He was under no illusion that winning her back would be an easy task. Definitely not! When, yes when, she woke up, she would require answers from him. He was unwilling to accept the alternative. She would wake up to ask of him what she wished. He would be ready to respond to her when that happened.

He knew that he had shown himself to be inconstant towards her- his engagement to Eliza would have certainly shown her exactly that. He did not fight for their joint happiness enough- he did not ask for help at the right quarters due to his foolish pride as Lady Susan very rightly pointed out. He gave up too easily and that was on him not Charlotte. He doubted that she would trust him not to hurt her again. Despite this lingering doubt, he was hopeful for a bright future with her.

Yes, thought he to himself again. This is the taste of freedom. May it never go away and may it last forever! That made him grin widely to himself causing his two lady co-passengers to notice how handsome he was when he smiled. The two ladies privately thought, 'Who is the lucky lady, indeed!'. Not that he paid any attention to them. He was too engrossed in his own happy thoughts to care.

Chapter 16- The Heywoods arrive in Sanditon

Happy thoughts indeed for our Sidney! However, as his coach was on the outskirts of Sanditon, another private carriage, which was on its way to Trafalgar House, started entering the seaside town.

This carriage was the one from Willingden carrying Tom Parker and the Heywoods. Its occupants were woken up by the carriage's jolting. They woke up unwillingly as sleeping in a carriage was not very comfortable no matter how tired one was. Nevertheless, here they were awake. And hungry besides!

Tom looked out of the window sighing sadly. His reaction when entering Sanditon would normally be delight, pride and passion for this glorious project! Unfortunately, he did not feel like that right this minute. He felt ashamed, disappointed in himself and like a man with no purpose instead. Sanditon, or so he thought, was his priority and his purpose in this life.

He came to the realisation that his priorities were in the wrong order. Sanditon no longer felt important. Today's events shifted his priorities in life. Sanditon without his wife, children, brothers, sister and friends was merely a place. It dawned on him that the people living in a place made it important, not the place itself. He realised that he was slowly alienating the most important people in his life. If he didn't act soon enough, he would lose them for good. What kind of man would that make him? A coward, that was who!

A plan of action was forming in his mind. He kept his promise to bring Charlotte's mother and sister. That was good! Very good! One promise has been kept and it has been delivered, thought he proudly.

The next step would be to deliver a long overdue apology to both Sidney and Mary. This had to happen very soon. He was not even sure whether they would even be receptive to his apology, but he would attempt it, otherwise he would never be able to either live with himself or look at himself in the mirror.

After that, he absolutely had to write to both Lord Babington and Mr Crowe. Sidney needed to have his friends around him. Tom, as his brother, has definitely failed to provide him with an adequate support network. He did not feel as if he could be a shoulder his younger brother could cry on.

His mind, then, went blank after all that thinking. 'Baby steps, Tom!', thought he to himself. Rome was not built in a day!

Neither Mrs Heywood not Alison had any idea on what was going on their host's mind at that point in time. They woke up when the carriage entered Sanditon.

Charlotte had already described most of the town to them in her letters to the family. One of Charlotte's gifts was that she was especially apt in describing both people or places in such accurate detail that one felt that they were at the described place or that they had met the person, who was being described.

Therefore, both ladies were more than eager to judge for themselves on the accuracy of those descriptions. It was as she had described it- not that they doubted it. However, one thing that they did not quite expect was the view of the burnt terraced houses.

Mrs Heywood, on the one hand, made a mental note to speak to Mrs Parker about this once they have been introduced and have become sufficiently acquainted with each other.

Alison, on the other hand, looked around her in wonder. This was her first trip out of Willingden, so, despite worrying about her sister's health, she was looking forward to exploring this new and wondrous place. She also really wanted to go to the seaside, touch the sand for the first time and find some seashells for her siblings. She had never seen the sea- even Charlotte's letters could not somehow deliver the exact sensation of that experience, could they? Her sister's health first, thought she, and then the rest! One thing at a time!

In no time at all, the Parker carriage halted before Trafalgar House interrupting the travellers' thoughts and aspirations. Tom got out and started helping the ladies out of the carriage. He was just about to help Alison when the front door opened to show the lady of the house at the entrance.

Tom could honestly say to himself that seeing his wife was a most welcome sight, especially, when she smiled at him so brightly welcoming all three of them to the house. He made the necessary introductions.

'Mary, my dear,' said he kissing her cheek affectionately, 'how lovely it is to see you. This is Mrs Heywood, Charlotte's mother and this is Miss Alison Heywood, Charlotte's sister.'

'Mrs Heywood, Miss Alison Heywood', Mary responded, 'it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance. Welcome to both Sanditon and Trafalgar House. Do come in. The footman will take your luggage inside.'

They all entered the house. More introductions were in order though as they entered the sitting room. It was in that room that they found Lady Susan. Mary performed the introductions between Lady Susan and the Heywoods, though, lest Tom decided to say more that it was actually necessary. Nobody could say that she did not love her dear husband or that she was not proud of him but speaking out of turn was certainly one of his major flaws. This was not the time to display it further. There is a time and a place for everything.

Lady Susan was impressed by both Charlotte's mother and sister. She did not know what she expected them to be like, but seeing what she saw, she was more than confident that should Alison wish it, she would break many hearts during the London season. She was as pretty as Charlotte- only her complexion was slightly lighter and less tanned than her sister's. Lady Susan made a mental note to herself to get to know both ladies as much as possible during this visit.

With the introductions and social niceties out of the way came the immediate wish from both Heywood ladies to visit Charlotte. Mary explained that both Dr Fuchs and Dr Levinson examined Charlotte again in Mary's presence earlier. She informed that they were currently discussing their findings in Tom's study. She mentioned further that Charlotte herself was being kept comfortable and Betsy, her maid was keeping her company. Mary reassured Charlotte's family that she had not been left by herself since her collapse. This certainly made both the Heywood ladies feel a bit better about the delay of the visit to their relative.

Mary also suggested they make arrangements for their accommodation due to the lateness of the hour. Lady Susan proposed that she book two rooms- one for each Heywood lady- at the Hertford Arms Hotel where both Dr Levinson and herself planned to stay. Both Heywood ladies accepted Lady Susan's proposal gladly and thanked her most graciously. Thus, the footman was dispatched with all said luggage for all four individuals to the hotel to book the respective rooms on their behalf.

By the time, Dr Levinson and Dr Fuchs finished their professional discussion on Charlotte's case and the party in the sitting room got to know each other better, the footman had returned confirming the hotel booking to Lady Susan. She thanked him and he left to return to his duties.

Dinnertime was also announced just after the footman's departure. The whole Parker family minus Sidney, Diana and Arthur, the Heywoods (mother and daughter), Lady Susan and last but not least Dr Levinson and Dr Fuchs enjoyed this repast. It was an unspoken wish of the whole party that nothing was to be mentioned concerning Charlotte's condition during dinner for the sake of the Parker children.

Henry, Alicia and Jenny were delighted to see their papa again, which made Tom feel even worse. He realised that another apology was in order- one to his precious and innocent children. He had not been spending as much time with them as he should have done. He would need to change that, so he told them that he would play with them before bedtime to his wife's great delight.

The Parker children were also curious to meet the newcomers. They found Lady Susan beautiful with no hesitation to exclaim aloud 'Very pretty lady!'. Mary looked embarrassed on their behalf, but Lady Susan reassured her with a smile and a shake of the head that she was not at all offended. She, in fact, found that all three children had charming manners.

They also loved meeting Charlotte's mother and sister. Both Heywood ladies had a knack with small children. This meant that the adults could enjoy the quietest dinner they have had the pleasure to enjoy for a while- they could even engage in some very sensible dinner conversation in the children's presence. Tom and Mary fully understood where Charlotte inherited the skill of dealing with their children so well. It was truly a sight to behold how well behaved their own children were during dinner!

Dr Fuchs and Dr Levinson simply confused all three children, so they pretended to ignore them. They found that they talked funny!

With dinner ending and with Tom's promise to read and play to them before bedtime, the children were taken to the nursery to be made ready for bed and have their bath.

Chapter 17- The London specialist's opinion

The time for the dreaded conversation finally arrived and every adult certainly felt a chill in the air of the sitting room. The adults had moved there for their after-dinner coffee and biscuits. Both doctors sensed this shift, so they did not delay the disclosure of their patient's diagnosis any longer.

Dr Fuchs started off by saying, 'I would like to thank Lady Susan for fetching Dr Levinson from London.'

Lady Susan bowed and smiled 'It was the least I could do for dear Charlotte.'

He then continued, 'Both Dr Levinson and myself examined Miss Charlotte Heywood in the presence of Frau Parker. We have discussed her condition at length. However, it would be best if I let Dr Levinson explain the diagnosis and treatment options in deference to his wider experience in heart-disease-related conditions.'

He then addressed his colleague, 'Dr Levinson, would you kindly oblige us?' Dr Levinson bowed to the room and responded, 'Of course, Dr Fuchs. As my respected colleague mentioned a moment ago, Miss Charlotte Heywood was examined for the second time by both us earlier today. As my colleague confirmed during the lady's first examination, her heart condition is indeed very rare. I will not tell you that it is not dangerous.'

'Mrs Heywood,' said he addressing his patient's mother, 'I presume that you know what I mean when you hear me say this'.

Mrs Heywood did indeed nod at him acknowledging the validity of his comment. Everybody apart from Alison turned to look at her in a puzzled manner. The lady saw that but chose to remain silent.

The doctor went on with his explanation, 'Surgery is not an option for the patient as there is no anaesthetic that we can give her during the procedure. Unfortunately, the medical advances on this field have not improved enough for that. Enemas, the use of tobacco and other such cures would not help her either.

The only hope for her is to want to live again. I am convinced that her coma was the result of a heartbreak so strong that it has caused your daughter, Mrs Heywood, to experience a minor heart attack. She is basically losing her will to live. This needs to change if she is to survive.

The cause of this distress needs to be found and be permanently resolved. Your daughter only needs good news around her to make her believe that life is worth living again. She is not currently in any distress, so have no fear on that account. Her brain in blocking any unhappy thoughts as a means of self-preservation- she is in some sort of gleeful nirvana. Dr Fuchs's treatment of nutritious broth and constant company is helping her.

However, she is still in a coma. She will not be able to move for herself in order to exercise the muscles in her limbs. We must avoid them going atrophic. It is, therefore, imperative that they are being kept active by massage and movement morning and evening. She also needs smells and sounds that she loves around her. Mind you, all positive, nothing that would possibly upset her. That is very important.

Sadly, that is all we can presently do for her. She may wake up tomorrow, next week or next month. We don't know. The norm is that the patient wakes up after four weeks. If it takes longer than that, then her chances of recovery are going to be considerably reduced.

Someone should always be with her at all times. No noise, plenty of fresh air- it is a good thing that this is a seaside town- rest, loving care and exercise is the recommended treatment.

I will be staying in Sanditon for the next two weeks. This will allow me to consult with Dr Fuchs and monitor the lady's progress in her treatment. Should her condition change when I return to London, Lady Susan knows where to find me. I will, of course, travel to Sanditon post haste when the missive reaches me.'

Everybody was hanging on Dr Levinson's every word. Mrs Heywood and Alison were crying silently, Tom wanted a really strong drink, Mary was terrified of Sidney's reaction and Lady Susan herself was shocked beyond belief.

Mrs Heywood took a deep breath to steady herself and ventured to ask, 'Thank you for sharing your opinion with us, Dr Levinson. When and I say when my Charlotte wakes up from her coma, what is her condition likely to be?'

Dr Levinson was very impressed with Miss Heywood's mother. He has just told her that her daughter may or may not wake up from her coma and she then go to ask this question. Now that is what you call gumption. It must run in the whole family. Good for them! He was now more than convinced that this family were fighters. There was hope for this young lady yet.

He reflected for a moment before responding, 'That is a very good question, Mrs Heywood. Patients may have difficulty speaking and depending on how much their limbs have been exercised, they may need to learn to walk again. It really depends on both the circumstances and the patient.

What is important is that your daughter is mentally stimulated at all times. It may be that she responds to someone talking to her by moving a finger or one of her eyelids. The more emotionally invested she is with the person, the more of a reaction you will get out of her.

Do remember that she will hear you when you speak to her. Make sure to establish ways of getting her to communicate her wishes to you. It may be moving her finger twice for 'yes' or once for 'no'. Anything that works.'

Mrs Heywood thanked him again and asked where Alison, Lady Susan and herself could visit Charlotte briefly before retiring for the day. He assented to the request for a five-minute visit per person. Both doctors then excused themselves and left Trafalgar House after a long and tiring day's work. Tom and Mary went to the nursery to spend some time with their children instead.

Mrs Heywood went for the first visit. She found Betsy reading Charlotte a passage from the bible. She introduced herself and asked the maid whether she wanted to take a break in order to have her dinner. Betsy agreed wholeheartedly as she was indeed very hungry. She asked Mrs Heywood to fetch her from the kitchen when she was needed again.

She took a moment to take in the appearance of her first born. She looked the same as she remembered. She hoped and prayed when she first held her in her arms to protect her from this fate. Oh, alas, it was not to be! She knew she was about to give in to her feelings- she could not be upset around her though. She had to find the strength to seem upbeat and happy. Charlotte's life depended on it.

'Charlotte dearest, it is mama. Both Allie and myself have come to Sanditon to visit you for a while. We arrived earlier today. We will let you sleep, and we will see you after breakfast tomorrow. We have lots to tell you!'

She kissed her forehead, wished her good night and exited the bedroom with a heavy heart. Only then did the tears started falling a tiny voiceless sob escaped her mouth. She closed her eyes to compose herself before fetching Alison to visit her sister. Alison did see her mother's reaction, though. Mrs Heywood wiped her tears and they shared a hug. Thank goodness that she had brought her other daughter with her. Alison sniffled and asked, 'Mama, how is Charlotte?'

Mrs Heywood responded, 'She looks as if she is asleep. She looks no different, but there is a queer feeling of calm around her. Allie be cheerful no matter what. She knows you very well, so she will know when you are upset. Remember what the doctor said - we are not allowed to upset her. Just bid her good night and tell her that we will visit her tomorrow.'

Alison nodded and entered the room. 'Lottie, it is Allie. We have come to visit you, dear sister. You have waxed us lyrical on the beauties of this place. We have decided to come and see for ourselves. Good night to you.' Thus, Alison kissed her sister's warm cheek and departed.

Lady Susan was Charlotte's last visitor. She was never good at the sick room- something that remained with her from her husband's traumatic long illness. She would try for Charlotte's sake no matter how difficult.

'Charlotte, my girl, I have lot of good news to share with you. I have come to wish you good night for now. I shall fill you in tomorrow. I will be staying in Sanditon for a little while as well as your mother and sister. I have missed you, my friend. When you are up and about, you can show me your favourite haunts in the town.'

She squeezed Charlotte's hand briefly and went to join the Heywoods in the sitting room. On her way out, she asked for a footman to ask Betsy to return to Charlotte's room and fetch the master and lady of the house to the sitting room. The Parkers bid their guests good night and invited them for breakfast in the morrow.

Thus an exhausting and eventful day came to an end. Everybody was hoping for a better day to dawn tomorrow.

Chapter 18- Solidarity

A bright, sunny morning ensued the day before. A good night's sleep refreshed our respective party's weary spirits and mind.

For example, Dr Fuchs's surgery, had never been busier. He, of course, could not revel anything about Charlotte's condition to the general public due to the doctor- patient confidentiality act. When he was asked about her, he merely stated that Miss Heywood had taken ill.

The news spread like wild fire in the small town. No matter what they may think of Tom Parker's business dealings, Miss Heywood was an innocent bystander to his schemes. The whole town really liked her. She was a considerate, kind and cheerful young lady with a kind word for everyone. She was clever as well. The way she dealt with Old Mr Stringer's leg injury with such promptness and presence of mind was a wonder to behold. Yes, they would do something to cheer her up!

Firstly, all the families cooked small meals to send to the Parker household daily. Nursing someone ill took time and effort. Having ready meals was a great help. Secondly, the town's children went to beach- all of them knew how much Miss Heywood loved the seaside- to gather seashells. They would make a get-well picture and other gifts for her. Thirdly, the town's baker made Charlotte's favourite pie- chicken and leek- to send to Trafalgar House.

Once the first batch of offerings was ready, the baker approached Mr Stringer, whom they knew was the overseer for the Sanditon building work. They asked him to be their point of contact with the Parker family and deliver their contributions to them as they did not want to overwhelm the family with an excessive number of visitors.

Mr Stringer, who was himself worried about Charlotte, was more than happy to comply with their request as it gave him the opportunity to get regular updates on her condition. He was also curious to meet Charlotte's sister- he took a glimpse of her as she was coming out of the carriage- and he seemed to a charming girl much like her eldest sister.

Therefore, the Parker household was inundated with food and considerate gifts for Charlotte. It was truly heart-warming the way the town took to Charlotte. Both the Heywoods and Lady Susan made sure to pass on their gratefulness for their kindness to the townspeople through Mr Stringer. Mrs Heywood made a silent promise to somehow thank those kind people once her Charlotte was up and about and out of danger.

Chapter 19- A military operation

Breakfast was out of the way- this was a clear sign for both the whole Parker household and the friends who were involved in Charlotte's care to pull together. It was very much like putting together a military operation. Mrs Heywood brought everyone in one room and assigned them their tasks. She knew how to deal with emergencies and large groups, so nobody questioned her authority. They simply went on with their respective tasks with no objection.

Tom was to spend time with the children. He relished the thought. He was no good at the sickroom. He could be more of help by keeping the house quiet and also spend quality time with his children. He decided to take them to the beach for a picnic for the day- he would organise other fun games for the rest of the days. Mary, Betsy, Mrs Heywood, Alison and Lady Susan were to help with Charlotte's care regime.

Charlotte's bedroom- aired every morning to allow the fresh sea air to enter- was decorated with the seashell get-well pictures and decorations that were made by the town's children. They truly looked at home in her room and brought the smell of the sea from outside in the room. Her room was full of fresh flowers as well that were changed every day. Both the fresh air, the smell of nature and the seaside decorations would stimulate Charlotte's senses as per the doctor's directions.

Mrs Heywood also made sure that she would be sponge-bathed every morning and that her physiotherapy exercises were adhered both in the morning and in the evening. The ritual of broths, exercising, reading, speaking to her was followed religiously for a whole week. It was made sure that all of Charlotte's caregivers took several breaks to rest and refresh themselves. This was insisted upon by Mrs Heywood who would brook no opposition in the matter. She knew that everyone had their breaking point.

Throughout all this time, the townspeople kept sending flowers, gifts, fresh food and all manner of trinkets through Mr Stringer- it was one of those occasions that allowed Alison to first meet Mr Stringer- she was introduced to him by Mary who happened to be with her at the time of his arrival. She was very much impressed by how handsome he was, and he was instantly smitten despite not being willing to admit it to himself just yet.

So many contributions were delivered to the house every day in fact that the Parker family's cook only had to make breakfast for the family. This also allowed her to help with Charlotte's care a bit- she really liked the young lady and she was keen to help her get better. She knew Charlotte liked learning about new recipes, so she read her from one her favourite recipe books. She even promised her to teach her to bake if she woke up.

Diana and Arthur visited Trafalgar House the second day after Lady Susan's arrival- they were in London before that and they came to the house as soon as they heard. They were informed of Charlotte's condition and told not to leak any details of her illness to the townspeople. This was not because they did not trust the people in their town- it was just to preserve Charlotte's sensibilities and self-respect. They would not want her to feel embarrassed when she woke up.

Both Diana and Arthur certainly offered their help with Charlotte's care as well. Arthur was to help Tom with the children- which delighted him as he adored his nephew and two nieces- and Diana was to assist the other ladies at the sickroom. Diana would often fancy herself being unwell- that was just the picture she showed for the outside world though- she was a shy creature. Deep inside she had nerves of steel for the sickroom and all the other ladies would value her contribution tremendously.

Georgiana also helped with Charlotte's care by reading to her- she had a strong and vibrant reading voice which he knew Charlotte appreciated very much. She was worried about her friend. She was the only friend that she had made since leaving Antigua- she was dreading losing her. Though meeting Alison did present the chance of another friendship. Alison was very much like Charlotte and Georgiana was looking forward to getting to know her better. They would help Charlotte together!

Chapter 20- Dr Levinson decides

Thus, Charlotte's recovery became the priority of both the Parker household and the whole of the town of Sanditon.

Dr Fuchs and Dr Levinson were awed by this response. Never had they seen a town pull together for one person's recovery. Dr Fuchs certainly knew how well-loved Charlotte was, but Dr Levinson had never experienced such a form of solidarity throughout his whole career. He did have his main practice in London- a profitable practice it was as well. However, there were times when he found his patients to be utterly cold and insensitive towards other human beings. This frustrated him no end and made his critical of people's motives. Sanditon's townsfolk warmed his heart with their kindness and rekindled his hope in humanity.

He would see to Miss Charlotte Heywood's recovery and then consider co-practising medicine with Dr Fuchs in Sanditon. Why ever not?

He got on really well with him and they had a lot of common medical interests. He found their discussions to be very enlightening. It was good to have another colleague around for a second opinion.

He also loved the seaside and it would do his patients no harm either seeing that most of them only needed fresh air and exercise to recover from their pretended ailments. Eating too much and being inactive did not do them any favours. The Regent's investment in Sanditon would bring them here like flocks of seasonal birds. Of that he had no doubt!

Another strong incentive for him was also Miss Diana Parker. He made her acquaintance when he visited the Parkers as she happened to be in the room when he was attending to his patient- Dr Fuchs happened to be at another patient visit at the time.

She was a fussy lady fancying herself ill all the time or at least that is what she seemed to be. There was more to her, though. She was a determined young lady who did not cower when difficulties arose despite her innate shyness.

A good doctor's wife needed to be strong and this was Miss Parker's strength. He would have plenty of time to get to know her when he visited his patient. They may just be compatible. One never knows. He would enjoy having a wife to love and spoil rotten after a hard day's work.

Chapter 21- Winning Lady Denham's approval

The townsfolk's solicitude over Charlotte did not only affect Dr Levinson. It seemed that Lady Denham was also both very interested and truly intrigued by what was happening at Trafalgar House. She prided herself that she knew of all the happenings in Sanditon at all times, but this development was a revelation even for her. The people of Sanditon have never responded to her like that!

She demanded people's respect due to her wealth and elevated place in society. However, she was no fool. She knew that very few people actually loved or cared for her as a person. Esther, her only remaining relative and newly-married niece to Lord Babington, did care for her aunt in her own disinterested way, especially after Edward and Clara's come down in the world. Her niece even made the effort to visit her more often, which was a most gratifying feeling. It always pleased Lady Denham to have her around as she was often lonely, and Esther reminded her of herself when she was younger.

It puzzled this grand lady how a girl such as Charlotte Heywood without fortune and without bringing conscious attention to herself- didn't she always insist that she was not here to get a husband? - captured the heart of the people in this town. In fact, if anyone were to ask Lady Denham's thoughts right this moment, she would tell them frankly that she envied the girl. She was loved very much indeed without demanding it or asking for it. She gave her real attention to other people, and they loved her for it. Lady Denham wanted that type of love. In fact, she craved for it. Yet, people were afraid to love her as she never showed her real feelings to them. It made her sad deep inside.

Lady Denham put those feelings aside and returned her thoughts to Charlotte. Miss Heywood challenged her from the first day she had met her at Trafalgar House. The girl stayed true to her views and opinions from the beginning of their acquaintance. She was neither afraid of her nor did she tell her what she thought she might want to hear. She told her the truth without any false flattery and Lady Denham really respected that trait in a person. Honesty was definitely a dying bread and Charlotte Heywood had it in spades! Despite all that, Charlotte had cared enough for her feelings after the disastrous pineapple lunch to come and apologise for something that was not her fault. The girl instinctively felt that the old lady was upset and disappointed, which caused her ill humour during that lunch.

Just to know that this caring young lady was in such dire straits tugged at Lady Denham's very little-used heartstrings- she kept her heart hidden these days just in case it got hurt like all those years ago by two loveless marriages and the world's cruelty. Lady Denham thought to herself that she was as proficient as Sidney Parker in hiding her real feelings. They were both pros at it. Therefore, seeing how well the people of Sanditon treated someone who did not even live in Sanditon permanently with such care and affection was something new, fresh and it gave her hope for the future.

Thus, she weighed the pros and cons and she came to the decision to help Miss Heywood. If the people of Sanditon could turn a new leaf, so could she follow their example and help another human being.

She wrote to Lord and Lady Babington of the news and asked them to see what they could do to help the young lady further. She also arranged for fresh donkey's milk to be delivered to the Parker residence daily. She reasoned that if it had already helped her cheat death, then it would certainly be beneficial to Miss Heywood. She made sure that the footman, who would deliver the milk, gave a note to Mrs Mary Parker- a sensible lady if there was ever one- to request for frequent updates of the patient's condition to be sent up to Sanditon House. Lady Denham was sure that Mary would not deny her request.

Chapter 22- Sidney's adventures in London- Part 1

What of Sidney- last time we heard from him, he was on his way to London. The moment he reached the capital, he took a cab to Bedford Place. He needed to recharge his batteries with a bath, a meal and a nap before sitting down to make his plans like a general in time of battle. He needed to have a clear head before making any decisions especially ones that would affect other people in the long run.

There were always servants at the house, and they kept running like clockwork due to Mary's incomparable organisation skills as a mistress. She was amazing running two households- one in London and one in Sanditon at the same time. He took her hat off to her for that achievement.

The servants at Bedford Place knew that Sidney Parker, out of all the Parker brothers and sister, could arrive unexpectedly at any point. Therefore, it would certainly would not give him the best impression if they seemed to be inattentive to their duties.

Thus, they were not surprised when they saw him arrive asking for refreshments and a bath to be drawn. In fact, one of them had already spotted him when he was out in an errand. He returned to the house post-haste to inform the housekeeper, Mrs Cooper, who started the necessary preparations. Sidney was one of the housekeeper's favourites, so she informed the cook and asked the maid to get his bath ready. She was sure that he would need it.

Sidney was pleasantly surprised to have his bath all ready for him as soon as he entered the house and asked for it. He was told that the food would be ready in an hour's time. The hot water was infused with bath salts and a lavender which soothed his travel-worn sore muscles to no end. He always found travelling difficult due to his height. No carriage was large enough for him to stretch his legs, so had to hunch most of the time, which in return did not make for a comfortable trip.

He never asked for any special treatment after a trip as he did not wish to give more work than required to the servants. Yet, Mrs Cooper spoilt him rotten every time he visited. His bath always had bath salts and lavender, the cook made sure to cook his favourite foods- beef stew with dumplings and chocolate biscuits for dessert- yes, he had a terrible sweet tooth! - even his brothers did not know that. He thought of Charlotte, that would be something he could share with her. Did she have a sweet tooth? He did not know- one more thing to find out about his love. He smiled at that.

He remained in the hot bath and it definitely felt good being pampered for a bit! He closed his eyes and enjoyed his bath until the water started going cold and his skin got all wrinkly. He felt like a new man afterwards. Once he was dressed, he went downstairs for his meal. Beef stew and dumplings with chocolate biscuits, of course! Mrs Cooper was a saint, that was all he had to say in the matter, grinning to himself!

He really enjoyed his food and said so to the lady, who smiled at him indulgently. She could always depend upon Sidney to thank them for anything that they did for him. She worried that everybody saw the moody side of him and not that caring, gentle part of his character. He only revealed it to a selected few. Oh, she so hoped that he could meet a young lady and share his life with! Of course, she would never dare share her thoughts with him, but she kept wishing that on his behalf anyway.

Then, Sidney retired for a very much needed nap asking to be woken up in an hour's time. He slept with a gentle smile on his face dreaming of Charlotte and their first kiss at the top of hill in Sanditon.

The housekeeper woke him up as per his request. He was never an easy person to wake up- she knew that all too well- he could have slept for much longer really, but he did have some work to do today. He groaned and made himself get out of his comfortable bed and his even more pleasant dreams.

Half an hour later, one could find him at the study enjoying a small glass of brandy and a blank piece of paper in front of him. The battle was about to begin! At least in his head as he had some decisions to make. He asked not to be disturbed for the next two hours as he feared that the slightest disruption would derail his thoughts from his planning.

The first matter to consider was the insurance and finding means further disasters from occurring. He had to protect the family's assets from any of Tom's future mismanagement. Therefore, he prepared missives to be sent to both his accountant, Mr Stone, and his solicitor, Mr Thompson to meet him on the morrow.

He asked his accountant to visit him at Bedford Place at nine in the morning with the following documents:

His own and Sanditon's financial information from the bank

A recommendation for a reputable and trustworthy insurance company

Research into ways of preventing the family's property from being used as collateral for loans

A power of attorney document for Tom to sign his rights of the Sanditon project and all its financials to Arthur, Diana and himself.

Taking Tom's name off the family's bank account

A document to be drafted that Tom would sign agreeing that he would need permission from his siblings to draw any amount no matter how small from the family's accounts. It would also need to be added on there that one of the siblings would actually need to accompany him and witness the amount being drawn from the bank.

His solicitor was to visit him at two in afternoon with the following documents:

two copies of his marriage settlement to Charlotte

a copy of his parents' and his own will

A draft copy for a new will

the draft copy a document creating the Sanditon committee in general legal terms. He said in his note to Mr Thompson that he would discuss the names with him at their meeting.

Both missives were prepared and sent via express at Sidney's behest. Now the wheels were in motion. He really needed those documents. He needed to tame Tom's insatiable appetite for new plans and the thinking that money grew on trees. He would take the control off him, ask him to devote time to his family and help build the buildings he so loved.

This made Sidney smile in such a wicked but rather unpleasant way. He loved his eldest brother- he really and truly did. However, his dearest brother had near destroyed the family with his whims. He did not realise that those whims had both grave financial and emotional consequences. He did not realise that his family, his friends, his workers at the building site depended on him. Well, he would now. He would help his workers clear every burnt stone, he would learn to rebuild it stone by stone until he realised the damage that he had caused.

No, Sidney may no longer be angry at Tom, but he had not forgiven him despite his love for him. It has gone beyond that. He had gone too far- he nearly cost him Charlotte- he could forgive Tom a lot of things, but not losing Charlotte.

He may forgive him eventually after his marriage to his Charlotte, he might even accept an apology from him for Mary and the children's sake. However, he would never fully trust him no matter how sorry he claimed to be. Tom Parker's heyday for ruling the roost would be truly over very soon if Sidney had anything to do with it.

Their very livelihood depended on it. It would be for Arthur to play a more active role in the project. Arthur had a good head on him- people passed him by though- ignored him and he took all in with no complaints. This disturbed Sidney. He would change that.

The hardest part done, the other decisions were certainly more pleasant, yet he still had to be discreet. His broken engagement with Eliza was still the talk of London despite Lady Susan's timely intervention. He had to be careful of his Charlotte's reputation. He thought for a moment- yes, he needed a special license from the archdeacon, Mr Jeffery Pie, who happened to be an old school chum and he needed an engagement ring and a present for her from his friend Lovejoy, who was another school friend. He studied with both of them in Oxford and trusted them implicitly for their discretion.

Well, he thought to himself, he had a full morning and afternoon tomorrow. He would be exhausted by the time he finished his discussions with Mr Thompson. He would certainly be in no mood for pleasantries. All he would need is a meal and an early night.

He would invite Jeffery for lunch for the day after. They would then have a good catch-up and he would tell him of his request. This way the whole of London would not be a witness to any new developments and no further gossip would be fuelled by it. Yes, that is a good decision.

Now, Lovejoy. Lovejoy Green was a character and he attracted attention whenever he went. Yes, he was discreet but also very loud when he spoke, so a meeting out of the house is out of the question. He would ask him for dinner the day after as well. He would ask him to discreetly bring some simple and elegant engagement rings and an aquamarine pearl necklace set for Charlotte. He would write that he would explain on the day and that discretion was paramount. That would do it nicely, indeed.

He was satisfied with those two decisions- yet another day filled. The insurance visit would need to wait until all the other documents were in place. He sent the missives via express to his friends and asked them to confirm their attendance. He also informed Mrs Cooper of the planned lunch and dinner in order for the necessary arrangements to be made. He informed her that they would serve themselves and that the staff could take the afternoon and the evening off once the meals have been served. They deserved a day off anyway and this would ensure that no information left the house.

He kept thinking and ticking each item on his list. Ok, accountant ticked, solicitor ticked, marriage license ticked, engagement ring and present ticked. What else? Of course, Charlotte's silks for her trousseau and wedding dress. Not that he knew much about that- in fact he really needed Mary to help him, but her hands were full of tending to his Charlotte. It would not be fair to ask her for more- not that she would mind, but he felt bad doing so. He so wished his mother were alive- she would really have enjoyed all this planning, sighed he wistfully.

Maudlin thoughts aside, he could at least find her some beautiful silk and lace for her wedding dress. He wrote to the captain of his ship from the West Indies asking him for an update on the shipment. He knew that a shipment was to be delivered this week and that silk and lace were part of it. He asked for two bundles of each to be sent to Bedford Place before Friday. At least this was something that he could delegate- thank goodness for that.

That missive being ready, it was sent via express. He had another important missive to send out. To Mary. He needed an update on Charlotte. He penned one and asked her to send him news when she could. That was sent via express as well.

Wow, this whole decision making was exhausting! He felt really tired. He was off to bed to dream of Charlotte again and awake refreshed for the start of a new day.

Chapter 23- Sidney's adventures in London- Part 2- The accountant's visit

Sidney woke up at eight on Monday morning full of energy. It was unlike him to be so energetic, which made Mrs Cooper suspicious of an upcoming change. She so hoped that a young lady was responsible for it! Just seeing master Sidney smiling in full again would be reward enough for her!

His breakfast was all laid out for him at the dining room. He enjoyed it and looked forward to starting his day. He did not have to wait long- before he knew it, it was five minutes before nine when the maid announced his accountant's arrival. He thanked her, asked her to order some refreshments and take his guest to his study. He also asked that once the refreshments were delivered, nobody was to disturb them under any circumstances. Sidney felt it in his bones that this meeting alone would determine a lot of things. He could only ultimately hope for the best.

He found Mr Stone in his study as promised. Sidney took a moment to observe the man before speaking up to greet him.

Mr Stone was a middle-aged, dark-haired man, who has been in the service of the Parker family for years. He had started working for the Parker patriarch, so the brothers kept him on out of loyalty to their father. Sidney knew that he could somehow trust him- the question was how much. Mr Stone would need to prove his mettle. Tom may have been lax in financial matters, but Sidney could not afford to be. He would listen to what the man had to say first become jumping to any conclusions.

Sidney waited until the maid delivered the tea and left the room. He asked his guest 'How do you take your tea, Mr Stone?'

Mr Stone replied, 'Black, one sugar, please, Mr Parker.' Sidney prepared the cup to his guest's satisfaction and passed it on to him. The two men spent some moments performing the customary social niceties to satisfy society's conventions when Sidney suggested they proceed with the business in hand. Mr Stone could not but agree as he was well aware there was a long list of things to discuss.

'Mr Stone, first of all, I would like to thank you for responding to my urgent summons and for putting together the requested information.'

'That was no problem at all, Mr Parker. Your request to meet you actually pre-empted one of my own. I was going to contact you myself if I did not hear from you this week.', Mr Stone responded knowing full well that Mr Sidney Parker would be surprised at this statement.

Sidney was indeed surprised. His response showed exactly how much. 'How so, Mr Stone. Do explain.'

Mr Stone explained, 'Well, Mr Parker, I was reviewing the Parker family's finances after a request from the bank. They contacted me to ask whether any funds could be released to cover the loans that Mr Tom Parker had given in order to cover the building work at Sanditon.

They were going to foreclose on those loans by the end of this month- in other words in 20 days' time, which meant that all the Parker-owned properties would have had to be sold to cover some of the debts. You see, Mr Tom Parker, has mortgaged each of the family's homes twice over to raise those loans- the homes involved were Bedford Place, your parents' home, Michaelmas House, that is currently being rented out, the house where your sister Diana and Arthur reside and Trafalgar House.

Thus, I took the liberty to review the remaining bank balances for the whole family and check whether any remaining revenue was left to cover the bank debts. Unfortunately, I found that even by selling all the properties and putting together Mr Arthur Parker, Miss Diana Parker and your funds, the amount would not have been enough. Your whole family, Mr Parker, was on their way to debtor's prison by the beginning of August.'

Sidney sat on his chair staring at Mr Stone uncomprehendingly. He was feeling a mixture of raw rage, disbelief and sadness towards his eldest brother's stupidity. His instinct had told him that things were bad, but these revelations were unexpected to some degree. He was horrified. Oh, poor Mary and the children! Tom, how could you?

Mr Stone understood his client's surprise. He let him take a moment to comprehend what he had been told- it gave him a chance to collect his own thoughts and take a sip from his now lukewarm cup of tea. Hence, he was used to lukewarm tea, he did not mind.

Sidney, somehow, recovered from his surprise and asked further, 'Did you not advise my brother against all this, Mr Stone? Is this not your responsibility?'

Mr Stone sighed resignedly, 'I did write to your brother, Mr Sidney- if I may call you that. Repeatedly. He ignored my correspondence and I had no way of stopping him. I honestly did try.'

Sidney understood exactly what this man meant. Tom was like a hurricane- seemingly unstoppable. He did not blame this good, honest man for having tried to avert the disaster from happening. He could trust him after all- this was proof enough.

Well, here goes! Let us find out the damage that my incorrigible brother has caused! thought he to himself. He took a deep breath and asked slowly, 'How much is the actual debt, Mr Stone?'

'It is £90,000, Mr Sidney. The bank needs to receive that amount by the end of this week. Once they do, this frees up all the properties and they are all loan free.'

Sidney was fuming inside. He thought of his Charlotte and her good sense in a moment of crisis. This is when he needed her at most. He had to pretend that she was here with him- he had to think calmly and with a cool, clear head. He nodded at Mr Stone and asked the gentleman to give him a few moments to think. Mr Stone assented to his client's request.

Sidney took his time. He made the decision to send an urgent missive to Lady Susan at Sanditon, explain the situation and ask for the funds to be sent over. Once this has been done, he would pay for the insurance from his own funds.

'Thank you for giving me time to reflect, Mr Stone. Let me appraise you of some new developments that will ease this financial burden. The Regent has decided to give us funds for the development of Sanditon and has offered to cover the debts.'

Mr Stone replied with a smile, 'I am right glad to hear that, Mr Sidney. I was truly concerned for the future of your family. I admired your father very much. He would have been most disappointed at this turn of events.'

'He would have certainly been, Mr Stone. I could not agree with you more. Now, let us fix this mess.' Sidney asked Mr Stone for the exact financial figures for the whole family, which he studied most carefully and assiduously.

**Mr Tom Parker**

Debts: £90,000- No remaining funds

Loan to Mr Sidney Parker before Antigua- £15,000

Loan from Mr Arthur Parker- £5,000

Loan from Miss Diana Parker- £2,000

Loan from Mr Sidney Parker- £10,000

**Mr Arthur Parker **

Remaining funds: £10,000- No debts

Loan to Mr Tom Parker- £5,000

**Miss Diana Parker**

Remaining funds: £5,000- No debts

Loan to Mr Tom Parker- £2,000

**Mr Sidney Parker**

Remaining funds: £25,000- No debts

Loan to Mr Tom Parker- £10,000

He understood that Tom owed amounts both to Arthur (£5,000) and Diana (£2,000), which he would have to pay back to them a little bit every month. The payment of those amounts would certainly aid his siblings in a significant way.

Arthur was a thrifty fellow, but those extra payments would allow him to save for his future. Diana also deserved to have a half-decent dowry. He hoped that she would marry one day. The more he thought about it, the more the plan appealed to him.

Sidney also knew that Tom was instrumental in helping him before he left for Antigua. He owed Tom a great debt for that. Putting the emotional debt aside, which he felt that he had already repaid his eldest brother in full after what he had already tolerated from him, he realised to his dismay that he had not yet paid the financial one to him. Oh, Eliza, you have a lot to be blamed for! I would never have accumulated that debt if not for you! To his horror, he actually still owed him £5,000.

Charlotte's chastisement for not doing enough for his family came briefly to his mind. He briefly wondered how his love was doing. Was she thinking of him? He certainly was thinking of her. He switched his thoughts from Charlotte to the matter in hand.

He would purchase Sanditon's building insurance and this would cover the financial debt as well. Let Tom dare tell him that he owed him anything after all that! He wouldn't dare!

Mr Stone could see his client working things out in his head. He was so very pleased to be speaking to the most sensible member of the Parker family. Mr Tom Parker exasperated him as he never listened to a word of caution. Now Mr Sidney Parker was different. He was a moody albeit sensible gentleman- this sensibility may just save this family from further harm.

Sidney wrote his urgent missive to Lady Susan asking him to release the funds to him in Mr Stone's presence. He explained the circumstances around the request. He also informed her that he would be buying the insurance once the bank has freed the Parker homes from the loans. He asked one of the servants to send the missive via express. This being done, he next turned his attention to Mr Stone.

'Mr Stone, I have just sent a missive to the Regent's financial representative in Sanditon. I am in hopes that the amount of £90,000 would be available to us before the end of this week. As you can see from the list that I have passed on to you, I still owe my brother £5,000 and he owes £7,000 in total to both my brother Arthur and my sister Diana. I will not bail my brother out of this owed amount as I will purchase the insurance for the building work in Sanditon instead. This way my debt to him is going to be discharged. Please take some notes for me.'

Mr Stone prepared himself to do so. Sidney continued, 'Mr Stone, please put together an official notice from myself to Mr Tom Parker informing him of the debt of £7,000 to his siblings and charging him to pay the amount of £117 every month to Arthur and Diana. He has three years to pay the whole owed amount to them. If that amount has not been repaid to his siblings within those three years, please stress the point that I will myself take him to debtor's prison and leave him there. Please present me with two copies of that document. I will sign both of them and give the other one to my brother when I next have a discussion with him. He is a terrible correspondent as you well know, so sending it via post to him will not be an effective method to attract his attention.'

Mr Stone nodded and took the necessary notes. 'Of course, Mr Sidney, I will put both documents together and bring them with me next time we meet. What next?'

Sidney asked, 'How did you get on with the insurance research that I had asked you to undertake?'

Mr Stone was prepared for this question. 'There are two reputable companies for buildings' insurance that are operating in London at present. The premiums they charge are sensible for the 7 homes on the burnt terrace. The first one, Homesafe, would charge you £3,000 for a three-year policy and the second one, Priceright, would charge you £5,000 for a 7-year cover. Once you choose the company, I can then contact them asking them to set the contract up on your behalf and transfer the funds to them upon your approval. Providing we contact them by tomorrow, the insurance would be set up by Friday this week.'

Sidney took in this information and responded, 'Let us choose the one called 'Priceright', please. Please make note of that. That is excellent work, Mr Stone. Let us move on to the next point. How can we stop Tom from interfering in the family's finances in future? Do you have any suggestions?'

Mr Stone had already given some thought to this question and responded, 'Mr Sidney, your father had given your brother, Mr Tom Parker, the lion's share of the family's wealth with full access to the family's bank account. As sensible as your father was, he did not predict the extent of the financial problems that your brother would get your family into. There is something we can do, but you may not like the suggestion.'

'What would that be, Mr Stone?', Sidney asked.

Mr Stone sighed and proceeded with his suggestion, 'To declare your brother as mentally unstable and for him to willingly and out of his own accord sign a power-of-attorney document giving access to you and your siblings to all of the family's assigned properties and finances. This means that he would lose all his income and that he would no longer have access to any of the family's bank account indefinitely. This is a non-reversible action. Once we start it, it cannot be undone.'

Sidney did not know what to say. He knew Tom was not mad! He was enthusiastic but careless. If Sidney let this go on, it would cost the family dearly. So be it. It was for the greater good. He responded to Mr Stone, 'Put the document together, Mr Stone. Two copies for me to sign if you please. We cannot allow my brother to continue with his impulsive actions otherwise our family will be destroyed in the process. I know he does not mean to be destructive in his behaviour, but what choice do we have?'

Mr Stone responded, 'Of course, Mr Sidney. It will be ready for you. Anything else?'

Sidney continued, 'I hope to marry soon, Mr Stone. What is the standard amount that is assigned to a wife on the marriage settlement?'

Mr Stone smiled, 'Congratulations, sir! That is great news. Well, Mr Sidney, that would be £5,000.'

Sidney smiled back, 'Thank you for your good wishes, Mr Stone. Please keep this news under wraps for now though. It is still not public knowledge. Yes, £5,000 is a sensible amount. I will keep it in mind.'

It was twelve in the afternoon- Mr Stone and Sidney have been cooped up in the study for three hours.

In the meantime, Sidney's urgent message had reached Lady Susan in Sanditon. She considered the matter and sent an urgent missive to her bank to release £90,000 onto Mr Sidney Parker's bank account. She waited to get that confirmed. Once her bank confirmed that this has been done, she then responded to Sidney's missive asking him to proceed. She also included Mary's missive to him about Charlotte at the same time- she knew he would be worried. The messenger was dispatched to Bedford Place in London with the fastest available horse.

The messenger reached the house just when both gentlemen, parched by now as they had already drank all the tea, asked for further refreshments. The maid brought both the new refreshments and Lady Susan's urgent message to Sidney.

Sidney brightened up with the news. 'Mr Stone, I have excellent news. Our contact in Sanditon has confirmed that the funds of £90,000 have been transferred to my account. Please pay the banks and clear the loans. Once you have done that, please contact the insurance company and make the necessary arrangements.

Let us summarise the documents that you need prepare for me:

Debts' payment request to Arthur and Diana Parker- £7000- Notice to Tom Parker to pay £117 each month to each sibling. Debt to be paid within three years otherwise Tom to be taken to debtor's prison by Mr Sidney Parker.

Priceright insurance- £5,000 for 7-year cover- To be set up by tomorrow- Get contract by Friday this week.

Power of attorney for Tom's finances to be transferred to Parker siblings – Mr Arthur Parker, Mr Diana Parker, Mr Sidney Parker

Please check your notes and confirm.'

Mr Stone reviewed his notes and repeated all that Sidney had asked him to do. Sidney nodded to that. 'Excellent, Mr Stone. Yes, that is all correct. Please send your messages to the bank and the insurance asking them to implement the transfer of the funds. Ask them to send the confirmation to Bedford Place.'

Mr Stone did as he was told. The messenger was sent out again with all the missives. Sidney started relaxing a bit. Things were going to plan. God bless, Lady Susan! To Mr Stone he said, 'Now, we will enjoy a hot cup of tea and some of my cook's biscuits whilst we wait. It is time we get to know each other better seeing that we will be working closely together in future. Tell me more about yourself.'

Mr Stone smiled at his client. He knew he would enjoy doing business with Mr Sidney Parker. He was very much like his father- a sensible and clever man. 'I was born in London. I have been working as an accountant for the past ten years- five of those years I worked with your father. If you would allow me to say so, Mr Sidney, you are very much like him. He had a good head on his shoulders.'

Sidney blushed at the older man's praise. 'That is very kind of you to say that, Mr Stone. My father was an excellent man, but, unfortunately, I do not remember much on what he was like. I was only twelve years old when he died. What was he like as a person?'

Mr Stone thought for a moment, 'He had a wicked sense of humour and he could spot a lie instantly. No business associate could get away with a fib.' Both men chuckled. Yes, Sidney remembered when he stole that cookie from the cookie jar at Christmas time. He certainly did not get away with that. He smiled at the memory.

They continued their discussion on Mr Stone's business partners and family. Sidney found out what kind of business Mr Stone normally handled. It was useful information for the future. He also found out that Mr Stone had been married for 10 years and that he had two daughters and a son. It was a very pleasant conversation. Sidney enjoyed sensible adult conversation. That was one of the reasons that he fell in love with his Charlotte. He could have a conversation to her about anything. Oh, how he missed her!

The tea had been drank and the biscuits had all been eaten up by the time the messages from the bank and the insurance company arrived. It was most satisfying to know that all the loans have been paid off and that the insurance has been set up. What a relief! Both Sidney and Mr Stone were satisfied with the results. Mr Stone confirmed that he would work on the three documents and bring them to Sidney.

'Mr Stone, yes, that would be fine. The next topic I would like to discuss with you is some provisional measures for my sister-in-law and her three children. Please set up four savings accounts paying £50 every month to each of them from my account. Those accounts are to be kept a secret from all of them to avoid Tom having access to the funds. Please get the message ready and send the instruction to the bank.'

Mr Stone obliged and the message was sent accordingly. Sidney was satisfied. 'Mr Stone, it has been a real pleasure doing business with you. Please send me your bill and I will get that paid to you. Can you meet me tomorrow morning and provide me with the documents? Is nine in the morning a convenient time for you?'

Mr Stone agreed to the time. 'Certainly, Mr Sidney. I will have everything ready for you. I look forward to our meeting tomorrow morning. By the way, please pass my complements to your cook. The biscuits were delicious.'

Sidney laughed aloud at that. 'I certainly will, Mr Stone. She will appreciate your praise. Thank you for all your help. We will speak tomorrow morning.'

Mr Stone bowed respectfully and left the room. Sidney sat down with a goofy smile on his face. What a productive morning! Sanditon was safe. No more debts or loans, no threat of the debtor's house and the insurance has been bought. It was as if a huge weight has been lifted from his shoulders. Once Mr Stone brought the documents to him, Tom would never again impose his wishes to anybody. The future certainly looked bright from where he was standing.

He looked at the time. Ah, it was one in the afternoon. His other meeting was at two o' clock. He wrote a missive to Lady Susan thanking her profusely for her help and confirming that the debts of £90,000 have been cleared and that the insurance has been purchased. He also mentioned the other steps he was taking against Tom jeopardising Sanditon's future again. He sent it via special messenger along with a message to Mary to thank her about her news of Charlotte.

He now realised that a quick lunch was in order. He was starving! He called for Mrs Cooper, told her to pass on Mr Cooper's message about the biscuits to the cook and asked for lunch to be sent to him. The good lady had already predicted his appetite- not that he was surprised. That woman was worth her weight in gold! His lunch was waiting for him at the dining room. He was a lucky man, indeed!

Chapter 24- Sidney's adventures in London- Part 3- The solicitor's visit

Sidney felt refreshed after his lunch. He had just entered his study and sat down on his chair when the maid announced Mr Thompson's arrival. Sidney greeted him and asked him whether he would join him for a glass of brandy. Mr Thomson was weary after a long morning visit, so he was glad to accept his client's offer.

'Thank you for accommodating my request so promptly, Mr Thompson. That was very kind of you.' Sidney graciously thanked his solicitor.

Mr Thomson responded politely, 'No problem at all, Mr Parker. What would you like us to discuss first?'

Sidney opted for his parents' will. 'Let us start with my parents' will, if you please. I have long wondered what it included as I was very young when they both died. Would you enlighten me?'

Mr Thompson obliged and described the terms of both his father's and mother's will. He explained that his mother had left Arthur an income of £15,000 and Diana with an income of £7,000. The solicitor commented that Sidney's inheritance came from a distant uncle and the original amount was £10,000. Their father had left the bulk of the Parker family's portfolio - £30,000 at the point of his death- to Mr Tom Parker, the eldest son as per the custom.

The contents of the wills did not surprise Sidney as it was much as he remembered. There were no surprises there. Then he asked his solicitor a key question, well at least for him. 'Mr Thompson, were there any directions in my father's will should there be a case of mismanagement in the inherited monies?'

Mr Thompson looked at his client with interest but knowing full well what Mr Tom Parker had been up to, he could not say that he was surprised at the request. He brought out the copy of the said will, read it to himself for a moment and responded, 'Mr Parker, your father did not stipulate any terms as such. The fortune was left to your brother, Mr Tom Parker, outright to manage as he wished.'

Sidney sighed at that response- he took another sip from his brandy glass before asking again, 'Can the will be contested should the person who inherited is deemed to be mentally unstable?'

Mr Thompson looked up at his client with a very curious look. He could not quite comprehend the question. 'Mentally unstable, you say sir? Could you mean your brother, Mr Tom Parker?'

Sidney nodded and gave the solicitor a brief albeit accurate summary on what he had already discussed with his accountant and what had been happening in Sanditon. Mr Thompson looked aggrieved after hearing this narrative.

'I am very sorry to hear all that, sir. I can see the relevance of your question now. No, there are no limitations on your father's will. Unfortunately, the will cannot be contested as your father was corpus mentis when he had it written up. Therefore, your accountant's, Mr Stone's suggestion, is indeed the only way around your problem in reducing Mr Tom Parker's access to the funds and his inheritance. How about Mrs Parker and the children, though? What are they going to live upon?'

Sidney responded, 'I have considered the issue and came to the conclusion that I will set up a household account of £1000 per year for my sister-in-law where she would have access to all the necessary funds to run the household without my brother's influence. Do you think that would work, Mr Thompson?'

Mr Thompson was impressed with that suggestion, 'It certainly would, Mr Parker. Mrs Mary Parker is a very thrifty lady, so she should have no problem managing with that budget in a year. If I may be so bold, that income would also support both your brother Arthur and your sister Diana. This way, they would both save themselves from running a separate household.'

Sidney smiled at the man, 'That is a good suggestion, Mr Thompson. Consolidating both households will certainly save some money. Would the parental home at Michaelmas House accommodate the family, do you think? Or would it rather be better to keep renting it, stay in Trafalgar House and rent Arthur and Diana's home?'

Mr Thompson took a look at his paperwork, pondered and responded, 'Mr Parker, your tenants at Michaelmas House bring you an income of £25 per year. It certainly is not to be sniffled at. Renting Trafalgar House or even your brother and sister's home could bring you between £20 and £30 per year as both properties are in the town centre. Even if you rented each house for £25 per year each, this would give a healthy income of £50 per year.

That amount of £50 could be divided between the three of your brother's children and added in their saving accounts that you have had set up on their behalf. Each child would have a healthy dowry when it is time for them to marry. Therefore, it would make sense to move the family to the parental home and rent the other two properties.

Considering what you told me about the new developments in Sanditon, it would also make sense to keep running your London home and not rent it as it will save you running further accommodation costs when visiting the capital.'

Sidney pondered at those options. Yes, those options made sense. Both the Sanditon project and the Parker family where debt free- well with the exclusion of Tom. The remaining funding from the Regent was £30,000, which despite it being a large amount, it would need to last for a while. They would need further funding to fully proceed with the rebuilding. He put that thought in the back burner for the time being.

The whole family needed to save as much of their income as possible. In fact, the more that he thought about this, the more appealing Mr Thompson's suggestions seemed. If or when Charlotte accepted his suit- he would never take her agreement for granted knowing full well how much he wronged her, they would need to live somewhere, as well. He would need to consult his love when the time came. That decision could wait until she had accepted him.

Sidney asked his solicitor, 'When does the tenancy expire at Michaelmas House?'

Mr Thompson responded, 'In three months' time, Mr Parker. They are due to renew it or leave then.'

Sidney was satisfied with this response. They had three months until a potential move. Lots of things could happen in those three months. However, the family's spending still needed to be curtailed. Mary's household account needed to be set up as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Trafalgar House was not big enough to have Arthur and Diana move in, so that would have to wait for now. The suggestion of not renting Bedford Place was also good.

Sidney was satisfied with the decision. He said to his solicitor, 'Mr Thompson, we will wait until the current tenant lease expires at Michaelmas House. In the meantime, it is important that the household account is set up under Mary Parker's name. Please draft the legal document for my sister-in-law and myself to sign. Two copies, please.

We will wait until after the lease in the parental house expires and consider renting Trafalgar House as well as Arthur and Diana's house once the family has moved back to the parental house. We will play it by ear until then as a lot of things can change in three months.

What is most important at present is that Mary is given free reign of her immediate family's finances. Tom cannot be trusted under any circumstances. Please put two copies of the document together for her to sign and with me as the other assignee.'

Mr Thompson nodded agreeably, 'Of course, Mr Parker. I will put that together for you. What next?'

Sidney responded, 'I hope to marry soon, Mr Thompson. The young lady whom I hope to marry is currently unwell, so matters have not been settled between us just yet. She is yet to accept me, but I have high hopes that she might. I wanted you to put together a draft document for a marriage settlement leaving provision of £5,000 for my future bride.'

Mr Thompson smiled pleasantly at his client. 'Congratulations, Mr Parker. I am sorry to hear about the young lady's illness, though. I can certainly put the marriage settlement together for you. I gather some discretion is in order as this is not common knowledge just yet, is that correct?'

Sidney nodded, 'That is entirely correct, Mr Thompson. Discretion is paramount. Please prepare two copies of it. Keep the first one and then give me one for my perusal. Once the marriage settlement is sorted, I will then also change my will accordingly.' The solicitor confirmed that he would do so.

Sidney continued, 'The next business matter that we have to deal with is the creation of the Sanditon committee. We hope to create a management committee for the project. My plan is for the committee members to be the following:

A representative of the current investors on the project

The Parker family (Arthur Parker, Diana Parker, Sidney Parker and Mary Parker) excluding Tom Parker.

Mr James Stringer, the overseer of the project

There is scope of adding new members in future, but it may be good to start with a small list of people for the time being.'

Mr Thompson was agreeable to this plan. 'That is an excellent plan, Mr Parker. In fact, it is the perfect safety valve for such a project. I would be more than happy to draft the document.'

Sidney thanked him. 'Let us summarise then, I would need two copies of following documents from you. Please confirm that you have noted down all three requests and bring the documents to me at 11.00 tomorrow morning:

Document giving Mrs Mary Parker access to the household accounts

The marriage settlement

The Sanditon committee draft

Mr Thompson was certainly impressed with his client. He certainly gave clear instructions and he demanded promptness. He really liked that- if only all clients were so thorough in their business dealings, then his job would be that much easier. He repeated back to his client the list of documents that were needed.

Sidney smiled at the solicitor. 'Excellent, Mr Thompson. Thank you again for your help. We will speak tomorrow morning at eleven. Please also let me know tomorrow of your fees for me to issue the payment for your services.'

Mr Thompson bid his client a good day and was shown out by the maid leaving Sidney in the study. Sidney was thinking how fast time flew this afternoon. The solicitor arrived at two and it was now five. He deserved a reward after all this concentration. He would take a nap before dinner. He suddenly thought to himself that he did not know when dinner was to be.

He called for the ever-reliable Mrs Cooper and asked her when dinner would be ready. She said it would be ready by seven- in two hours' time. He then told her then that he would take a small nap and for her to wake him up when it was all ready. Off he went them to dreamland to join Charlotte in her own dreams.

Chapter 25- Sidney plans ahead

The delicious smell of chicken soup woke Sidney up even before Mrs Cooper knocked on his door. He was so very hungry! It seems that all this productivity has perked up his appetite to its normal levels. Charlotte would have been pleased to know that and the thought brought a smile on his face. He got ready to enjoy his dinner. The soup was as delicious as he thought it would have been and he was most complementary to his cook via his housekeeper.

He was back in his study enjoying a bit of peace and quiet. It was unbelievable that he had an evening to himself with no visits of either business or pleasure. He needed to plan ahead and think what else he needed to achieve whilst he was in London. He really had to use his time here wisely as he wanted to spend as much of his time as possible in Sanditon with Charlotte.

He found that the best way to plan ahead was to write down what he had already done. He started writing each item down- insurance ticked, first appointment with accountant ticked and first appointment with solicitor ticked. 'Excellent progress, Sidney!' He did feel silly congratulating himself as he went along, but there it was.

He then thought of his day tomorrow. It would be a very busy Tuesday indeed. His accountant was due at nine in the morning, his solicitor at eleven in the morning, the archdeacon at one in the afternoon and the jeweller at seven in the evening. Depending on how long Jeffery stayed for lunch, which knowing his friend's dedication to the church, it would not be more than two hours. He was as punctual to his duties as a Swiss clock. It was an endearing quality!

That left him some free time between three and five in the afternoon tomorrow. He could have a nap like today at five before his dinner with Lovejoy- he really does need to make napping a habit- this rest was benefitting him no end. He did secretly think, though, that napping with Charlotte would be even more beneficial for him in the future. Is she a napper, he wondered to himself? Oh, how many secrets about her he had to uncover!

Two whole hours in the afternoon. What to do? Think Sidney, think! What else are you hoping to achieve this week? Don't you want to go back to your Charlotte? Then, think! He decided that a walk to the window and another glass of brandy would assist his thinking process. So that is what he did.

The trick worked like a charm. He would have most of the documents he needed in the morning. The results of both his lunch and dinner arrangements would only bear fruit latest by Thursday- so the special wedding license, the engagement ring and Charlotte's present could only be obtained then. The insurance document was to available that day as well- he really needed to check with Mr Stone about that tomorrow morning. Last but not least, the fabrics for Charlotte's wedding dress would be here by Thursday this week as well. Therefore, unless extenuating circumstances came about there was nothing further that he could do speed those errands up.

He could put what he could not control out of his mind. Isn't that better, Sidney? Now, concentrate. What else do you need? Ah, the funding from other investors and the materials for the rebuilding.

Mr Stone will prove helpful in tracing the best suppliers for the materials- there was a slight problem on that, though. He needed Mr Stringer to give him a review of what was needed as well as the architectural plans. He did not have them, and he needed that information tomorrow morning. Could Mr Stringer speed that up and send him all the details in London via messenger? Mary would be happy to arrange it- Sidney had no doubt of that. Good plan that, well done Sidney!

He sat down, wrote the missive to Mr Stringer asking him to provide him with the costs of the rebuilding work, the manpower and the materials that were needed. He then asked him in the message to go to Trafalgar House this evening, ask for Mary and ask her to send the information to him via messenger to Bedford Place. He also stressed the point that Tom was not to be informed of this and the information needed to have reached him before nine in the morning tomorrow.

He also asked Mr Stringer to start working on the architectural designs for the repairs on the terrace. Sidney thought to him that this would give Mr Stringer three days in the week and the whole of the weekend to work on them. He told him in the missive that he would set up a meeting with him upon his return to Sanditon to discuss them further. Who knows- Lady Susan or the Regent might like to have a peak at them?

Sidney was satisfied with himself. He put the message aside to send. Now, new investors. Let us see. They needed more money for the rebuild. They could not ask of more money from either the Regent or Lady Susan. Talking about Lady Susan- he needed to send her an update. He could send her the update with the meeting with his solicitor and ask her in his missive whether there were any contacts he could get in touch with before returning to Sanditon on Saturday.

Excellent plan, Sidney! He sat down to write his message to Lady Susan. He put it aside for now. There was something else that he needed to add to that message. What was it Sidney? You are slacking, which means only one thing- you are getting tired! One last effort come on!

He looked blankly at the wall and there it was. As if a lightbulb had lit up in his brain! The Regent's ball! Of course! Now Sidney did not have a clue about organising balls, but Mary did. He asked Lady Susan when the Regent's ball was to be. It would give him more of a timeframe.

He finished both messages and asked Mrs Cooper to send them off via messenger immediately. Sanditon is only one hour away so with any luck he would get both James Stringer's and Lady Susan's message tomorrow at some point. He did explain to the good housekeeper that he expected both responses tomorrow.

He concluded that he would need a bit downtime to organise his thoughts tomorrow- those two spare hours would be extra time to deal with any emergencies. Flexibility being the key component there!

Enough with business for one evening! Time to think about Charlotte! He so wished that he could see her. He was frustrated that he was here in London and he could not even talk to her! What could he do to show her that he was thinking of her? It was a tricky thing. A good night sleep would give him inspiration. He was done for the day. Off to bed and dreamland with his Charlotte!

Chapter 26- Mr Stringer reflects

Sidney Parker slept peacefully in London after a productive Monday. However, Mr James Stringer in Sanditon has been going through a constant upheaval in his life ever since his father's sudden demise.

He felt all sorts of feelings- guilt, anger, confusion, grief- all mixed together in an unexplained way that was new to him. He felt guilty because of the heated words that they exchanged together without knowing that they would be the last they would speak to each other. He was angry at himself for letting his vanity get the better of him and for letting his father down. He grieved his father's steadying presence and the empty house where he currently lived- it was a very lonely existence. Those three feelings were with him at all times- they were well hidden at the peats of his heart.

However, the predominant feelings that he has been feeling this past week, was confusion in addition to worry. He knew that love was a confusing feeling. He thought that he had been in love with Charlotte Heywood. He was charmed by her ways and felt his heart beat faster when she was near. He also felt shy and awkward around her. She had also been friendly and open when she spoke with him. He listened to all her concerns- yet he had this niggly feeling that she never gave him her full attention. Her mind was almost always elsewhere engaged.

She smiled at him, but he also saw that she got on with everybody apart from her quarrelling matches with Mr Sidney Parker. They, then, returned from London along with Miss Lambe and things changed even more. She was still friendly with him, but even more absentminded than usual especially when Mr Sidney Parker was near. The Midsummer's Ball confirmed his suspicions as he could literally feel Mr Parker follow her with his eyes around the room when she was dancing with him. It was a certain fact that Mr Sidney Park was definitely heads over heels in love with Miss Charlotte Heywood. The whole of Sanditon could see it!

Then, the fire came, he lost his father and Mr Sidney Parker returned from London announcing his engagement with Mrs Eliza Campion quite possibly crashing Miss Charlotte's heart in pieces. The gentleman's return and Mis Charlotte's collapse were so closely linked with each other that he had no doubt that both events were connected.

He knew that Miss Charlotte cared for Mr Parker instead of himself. She just viewed him as her friend, so he would settle for that- she was too important for him not to. This is why he was now worried about his friend.

She was healthy and strong- this collapse of hers really disturbed his piece of mind. The diligence and care of the people in Sanditon on her behalf humbled him. He was proud to be her friend and he vowed to help her get better if he could. Therefore, him being assigned the people's representative to fetch their offerings to Trafalgar House, was an opportunity he relished.

This was until his confusion increased and he became even more confused than he already was. He saw Charlotte's sister and his world turned upside down in a moment. His belly was full of butterflies and he felt nervous and shy the few times that he even spoke to her. Both Miss Charlotte's mother and sister were lovely ladies. He understood how their mother's charm was passed on to both daughters.

Miss Alison Heywood's charms were very much in his mind after having just left Trafalgar House this Monday evening. Did she like him at all? What did she really think of him? How can he find out? It seems that confusion was his permanent friend these days! He sighed aloud at that thought.

He had just said goodbye to her after asking her about her sister. Miss Alison said that her sister was not awake but that she was not any worse. He had sighed inwardly when he heard that. Poor Miss Charlotte! - how at fault Mr Sidney Parker was for her condition! He was fuming over that particular gentleman's conduct walking towards his house.

Just before he entered a messenger asked him whether he was Mr James Stringer. He was surprised at the question but replied that he was. The messenger, then, gave him a missive that had been sent to him. The messenger disappeared before he could even thank him for delivering it to him.

He went in the small sitting room and opened it being admittedly curious about its contents. He had never been sent one in the past- he could hardly think who would think to send him one and for what reason. He certainly spent some moments reading its contents and digesting the meaning of the words.

The message was from Mr Sidney Parker himself asking him to send him the costs of the rebuilding work, the manpower and the materials that were needed by tomorrow morning. He also wanted him to start working on the architectural plans to be reviewed upon Mr Parker's return to Sanditon.

He was furious with this Mr Sidney- how dare he treat his friend like that and put Miss Alison and their lovely mother throughout all this worry. Yet, he knew two things for certain. The first thing was the gentleman in question broke the engagement with Mrs Campion proving that he actually cared for Miss Charlotte and the second was that despite everything he trusted the gentleman in matters of business.

Mr Sidney was the most sensible from all the three Parker brothers. He had lost count how many times Mr Tom Parker frustrated him. At least dealing with the sensible brother of the family would mean both that some progress might just be made on the building work and that the labourers would get paid for their work. He was also excited at being given the chance to prove himself with a new set of plans. He was still hoping that his daydream of becoming an architect might just become true in the future.

Therefore, he sat himself down to work on this errand. He had to get the information to Trafalgar House soon. He had already checked the burnt apartments. The main damage was mainly cosmetic, but some walls would need to be replaced. Some of the stone carvings would need to be redone as well. He supposed that the repair work would need to be completed sooner than later- perhaps with a workforce of 40 tradesmen the work should finish with three weeks.

He paused his calculations for a moment- the next challenge was the cost. He supposed that £400 would cover the building materials such as stone, straw, nails and lumber, £20 per each of the 40 labourers and £25 per week for his own salary. She wrote down all the costs just to be clear:

Building materials- £400

Stone- 5 cartloads

Straw- 2 cartloads

Nails- 100 boxes

Lumber- 6 cartloads

Number of labourers- 40

Salary per labourer per week- £20 (£800 for all three weeks)

Duration of building work- 3 weeks

Salary of overseer- £25

Total amount: £1,225

He looked at the calculations with satisfaction. Yes, that would do nicely. He would start working on the architectural designs from tomorrow onwards. He wrote down his response to Mr Parker outlining all the requested information confirming that the architectural plans for the terrace would be ready for Mr Parker's perusal by the time he returned to Sanditon.

He looked at the time. Goodness, it was already eight in the evening! He hated disturbing the Parker family and Miss Charlotte this late, but there it was. He has been told to do so. He wore his hat and run to Trafalgar House.

The door was opened by one of the maids, who was admittedly surprised to see him. He explained his errand to her and asked to speak to Mrs Mary Parker. Mary received Mr Stringer at the sitting room mildly wandering what possessed him to call upon them this late. She was too well-bred a lady to say any such thing though, so she told him instead, 'Mr Stringer, that is a surprise. How can I help you?'

'Mrs Parker, I am truly sorry to disturb you this late, but your brother-in-law, Mr Sidney Parker, asked me to put together some information on the terrace apartments and the rebuilding work, which he needed to receive at Bedford Place by tomorrow morning. Therefore, he asked me to speak to you about arranging for a messenger to dispatch the information tonight.'

Mary nodded and smiled at him. 'That is no trouble, Mr Stringer. Please give me the message and I will get that dispatched on your behalf. It was very good of you to bring it over'.

He was relieved at this reception. He smiled back at the kind lady and wished her good night. As soon as he left, Mary summoned one of the footmen on duty and asked to call for a messenger. It only took 10 minutes or so to find one.

Mr Stringer's missive reached Bedford Place at ten in evening by a sleepy footman with a crooked white wig. The footman, sleepy or not, did not want Mr Sidney's wrath- he liked him better when he was in a good mood- so the missive was placed on his desk to greet him in the morning.

Chapter 27- Messengers aplenty

The messenger service both in London and Sanditon were beginning to rely on the Parker family's business. They were about to get busier when at ten in the morning on Tuesday Lady Susan entered Trafalgar House and she was given Sidney's message by the lady of the house.

She was extremely impressed with the gentleman's organisational skills and business acumen. He had just been in London for a couple of days and he had done wonders. The debts have been covered, the insurance has been bought and more progress has already been made towards restricting Mr Tom Parker's influence on the Sanditon project. Yes, indeed! She would make absolutely sure that the Regent was aware of Sidney's efforts and that he received some sort of reward.

Lady Susan was currently in the sitting room. She was putting together her plan of action concerning Sanditon. Mr Parker had asked her for potential contacts for investors. She was raking her brain and noting down names whilst enjoying a hot cup of tea with some delectable pastries. The people whom she was thinking of as potential investors had more money that they knew what to do with. Those excess funds were normally spent either on women or gambling. She was of the firm opinion that moving all those funds to Sanditon would benefit not only the health of the investors themselves but this town as well.

The best way to approach them was via the Regent. She would send him an update via messenger outlining that the debts have been covered, the insurance has been bought and how Mr Sidney Parker's efforts benefited the project. This left only the repairs to be done and further investors to consider. It could be indirectly suggested to his highness to throw a party to announce this new project to his friends. This approach would ensure the long-term success of the venture.

She was fully aware that the remaining £30,000 of the Regent's funding may or may not cover the project. They needed more investors and it seemed that Mr Sidney Parker was of the same opinion, which showed his broadness of mind. They needed at least a couple more to tidy them over for now. She put her thinking cap on again. Lord Forster and Lord Cunningham kept writing to her asking for information concerning Sanditon ever since the Regent gave her access to the funding. Yes, she thought to herself, they would do very nicely.

She sat down near the nearest table. She drafted her messages to both Lords giving them further information on the project and telling them to confirm with her at Trafalgar House when they would meet Mr Sidney Parker at Bedford Place. She, then, put the two messages aside. She also started drafting her response to Mr Parker's message telling him of the two new investors and that she would let him know when they would meet him in London. She also told him that the Regent's ball would need to be held at the end of August.

She breathed in and decided that this was enough business for now- she would send the messages via messenger shortly. She would finish her tea and that delicious strawberry pastry. She made a mental note to ask Mrs Parker for the recipe. It was delicious! She enjoyed the flaky pastry and sweet filling very much. Strawberries were her favourite fruit.

We left Lady Susan enjoying her pastry. Sidney had already been up at eight in the morning at eight on Tuesday morning. He had already finished his breakfast by eight thirty, so he decided to make his way down to his study. He was very pleased to find Mr Stringer's message. He already had a couple of messages to send out before his meeting at nine with Mr Stone.

He sat down to write to Lady Susan giving her Mr Stringer's calculations and asking her to release the funds to him. He also wrote to Georgiana to ask her for a favour- he had an epiphany when he woke up- he would gift Charlotte a locket with both their likenesses. He would also get one for himself as well with just her likeness on there. He needed Georgiana's help in order to get this present done. His ward was gifted in sketching and painting. He asked her to send him both his and Charlotte's likeness in a sketch via messenger before lunchtime today. He had the messages dispatched just before Mr Stone's arrival.

The messenger delivered Sidney's new message to Lady Susan when she had finished eating the last piece of her pastry. She smiled widely at the news that she had received. She was glad that she had waited before sending the other messages.

She asked for a messenger to deliver the messages to the two new investors, the Regent and her bank. She decided that it would be best to receive their responses. Once she did, then she would respond to Mr Parker with all the info. She put the message that was to be sent later in her reticule.

The messenger then went to Mrs Griffiths's house to deliver the message to Georgiana. It was good pure luck that Georgiana was to spend some time with Charlotte this morning, so Sidney's message to his ward was delivered to her just before she was about to leave the house. It gave her time to collect her sketching tools and notepad. Georgiana loved drawing and she was glad to be able to do something for both her friend and Sidney. Her guardian was growing on her, thought she begrudgingly. The things she did for Charlotte! Her friend certainly deserved all the presents in the world.

She hurried out of the house and reached Trafalgar House just as the messenger was heading out. The maid took Georgiana's outerwear. She saw Lady Susan at the sitting room and went to greet her. 'Good morning Lady Susan, how are you this morning?'

Lady Susan smiled at Mr Parker's ward. He got to know her a bit more and she really liked the young lady. 'Good morning to you Georgiana too, remember it is Susan. I am well. How about you?'

Georgiana responded, 'Very well, Susan. I am to visit with Charlotte for a bit and I am also on an errand. Sidney wants to present Charlotte with a present, so he asked me to sketch both her and him and send the sketches to him today. Are you to send him any more messages today? Could I give you the sketches to send at the same time?'

Lady Susan exclaimed, 'A sketch is a great idea. I gather he is missing her a lot, then. I would be happy to send your sketches alongside my messages. Would you allow me to have a look at them before they are sent off?'

Georgiana blushed at that request, 'You certainly can Susan. I will go to Charlotte now. I will come and find you once I am done.' Thus, she made her way to Charlotte's room.

Charlotte has already had a day full of visits. Her mother normally spent some quiet time feeding her breakfast first thing in the morning, reading to her and helping her with her physiotherapy. Her sister, Alison, and Diana came to read to her one of her favourite scenes from 'Midsummer Night's Dream', which always used to make her laugh. She, then, heard Dr Levinson come in the room with Mary for her daily check-up. She liked that doctor. He was a kind man.

She was not awake yet- she did not react to her surroundings or what people were telling her when they visited. Yet, she relished all this attention. She was pleased to hear Georgiana wishing her good morning happily and talking to her about Sidney. Her friend told her that Sidney was getting her a present. He wanted Georgiana to sketch her as well as him and send him the sketches. This made Charlotte pause her floating around a bit.

Sidney, she thought. She truly wanted to ask Georgiana for more information. What present? When? Where was he? Whom was he with? Her friend was so excited about the prospect of drawing both of them and of Charlotte's present that may have she missed a tear escaping Charlotte's right eye if it was not for the need to focus on Charlotte's face for her text.

Georgiana was just setting herself up to start sketching when she focussed on Charlotte's face. She gasped at seeing the tear on her friend's face. That was a reaction, was it not? She started telling Charlotte about the Beaufort sisters doings whilst she was sketching her. She always found those two girls' amusing anyway. She would mention the tear later on to her mother.

Sketching Charlotte did not take long at all. Sidney's took a bit longer as she was doing it from memory. Hence, she was done with both sketches by eleven. She told Charlotte that and that again prompted another tear to slip out of Charlotte's left eye. No, Georgiana, you did not dream it. Every time Sidney was mentioned Charlotte reacted in some way or another.

Georgiana said nothing to Charlotte about the tears- she did not want to upset her- it was against the doctor's orders. She continued speaking to her about Mrs Griffiths and the vicar. She told her of her pet theory that the vicar was sweet on Mrs Griffiths. If only Charlotte could respond back! Soon, thought Georgiana to herself, soon!

It was about twelve in the afternoon when Georgiana's visit finished, and Mrs Heywood came to the room. 'Well, Georgiana, how did your visit go? Oh, those sketches are lovely!'

Georgiana moved her head slightly to the door and silently asked Mrs Heywood to follow her out of the room. Mrs Heywood was puzzled but went out of the room with the young lady. Once they were out of the room, Georgiana told her in a quiet voice of Sidney's request, the sketches and Charlotte's reaction to Sidney's name.

Mrs Heywood could not quite believe that the solution to her daughter's recovery was down to just one person, Mr Sidney Parker. She would talk to him and get him to visit her daughter upon his return to Sanditon. She was starting to realise that this may well be her daughter's only hope of recovery despite the fact that he was responsible for her current state. She would give him a bit of a grilling first, though. He did deserve that much, and she did so need to vent her frustration.

Mrs Heywood thanked Georgiana and went back to her daughter's room. It was time for her lunch. Broth again- boring yet nutritious! Mrs Heywood was sure that after this experience Charlotte would not want to taste another bowl of broth in her life.

Georgiana went to the sitting room to find Lady Susan. The past two hours were busy for our lady. She received the enthusiastic responses from the two investors who confirmed that they would both meet him at nine in the morning on Friday this week as they were keen to suggest a joint investment. That was great news, indeed. Her bank, then, confirmed that the funds for the building work have been transferred. More good news.

Georgiana walked into the sitting room and found Lady Susan grinning from ear to ear. She could not help teasing, 'Good news, Susan?'

Lady Susan grinned back, 'Most definitely, Georgiana. Things are going to plan. Are those your sketches? Let me see.'

Georgiana handed them on to her shyly and sat down on the settee near her. Lady Susan took her time perusing them and commented, 'You are very talented, Georgiana. Have you taken lessons with a master?'

She responded,' No, Susan. I am self-taught. I enjoy it.'

Lady Susan looked up surprised, 'You really should have lessons. We should nurture your talent. Shall I mention it to your guardian?'

She looked up and said, 'That would be great, Susan. Of course, I can tell Sidney myself- I doubt that he would deny me the chance to improve myself further, but it would be great coming from you as well.'

She hesitated before saying, 'Something happened during my visit with Charlotte. I was talking to her about Sidney and the sketches and she wept. She did not move- there was always a reaction from her though when he was spoken of. Do you think Charlotte is very hurt, Susan?'

Lady Susan studied the young lady in front of her before responding as diplomatically as she could, 'Yes, I am afraid to say that she is. He has lots of fences to mend before making things up to her. He showed her that he was inconsistent in his affections to her by engaging himself to another woman- that would have hurt any woman. He does love her very much. All he does in London is for her. Yet, unless she forgives him, it will not be enough. You said that she reacted to hearing his name- that is good news. He may just have a slim chance. We shall see. Let us send those messages, shall we? You will finish off your sketches and I will finish my messages.'

Georgiana went to work more on her sketches and Lady Susan on her update on Sidney's response about the investors, the bank transfer, the Regent's party, Charlotte weeping when hearing his name, the Regent's ball in August and Georgiana's sketches'.

Both ladies were done with their tasks and the messenger was on his way to London by 13.00 in the afternoon. He would find Sidney at lunch with Jeffery.

Chapter 28- The accountant's second visit

That was a busy morning in Sanditon. It does not mean that Sidney was being idle in London. We left him sending off the messenger to deliver his messages to both Lady Susan and Georgiana. That was just before Mr Stone, his accountant, arrived for his nine o' clock appointment. Both men exchanged the common pleasantries and settled down to a cup of tea.

Sidney was keen to find out how Mr Stone had got on with the documents that he was assigned to complete. He asked him for an update.

'Mr Sidney, the documents are ready for your perusal. You will also find here the insurance certificate for the building work. It arrived at my office just before I was to leave to meet you. Mrs Parker's and her children's saving accounts have already been set up. £50 will leave your account every month and it will be transferred to each of three accounts.'

Sidney took the documents and read through them carefully. He read the terms of the Priceright insurance- a most welcome document to behold-, the power of attorney document that Tom needed to sign and Tom's debt payment agreement to Arthur and Diana.

He was not sure about the debt agreement though. Knowing Tom's character three years was too short- the amount was also too large. Tom was not used to manual work and would earn £60 for three weeks' work during the rebuilding of the terrace. He would then need to work in other places to put the rest of the amount together. Therefore, £280 in a month was far too large an amount. It would be better to reduce it to £98 per month and the time frame to six years instead of three. He nodded to himself and responded to his accountant.

'The documents are in order, Mr Stone. Thank you very much for putting them together. However, would you amend the amount on debt agreement to £98 and change the duration to six instead of three? Is it possible to amend those details manually during our meeting today?'

Mr Stone took the said document from his client and read it through. He responded, 'I do not see why not, Mr Sidney. I can make the changes right in front of you.'

So he did and he passed on the completed document to Sidney. Sidney nodded at him pleased with the result. He then decided to address the business about the building materials.

'Mr Stone, you have done excellent work. Well done. There is another matter that I would really appreciate your assistance with. Our overseer has sent me the list of materials that they would need for the repairs. He calculated the costs up to £400. Which supplier could we use and how long would it take for the materials to reach Sanditon? Where can we find materials up to the price of £400 that are not too expensive and of good quality?'

Sidney passed on the list below to Mr Stone, who took it from him. He took a moment to read it.

**Building materials**\- £400

\- Stone- 5 cartloads

\- Straw- 2 cartloads

\- Nails- 100 boxes

\- Lumber- 6 cartloads

Mr Stone responded, 'Mr Sidney, you are very lucky in your choice of overseer. He knows how to do his job very well. There a couple of options available, but it would depend on how long the building work was to take to complete.'

Sidney took up Mr Stringer's message to remind himself of the timeframe. 'According to our overseer's message the timeframe is three weeks. I gather the sooner that we get the materials, the sooner the rebuilding can start. How soon could your supplier send them to us?'

Mr Stone took a moment to think before saying 'You can have them by Monday morning next week if we order them today.'

Sidney was more than satisfied with that response. 'Please order them, Mr Stone and send them to Sanditon. Would you write the message to the supplier in the next couple of minutes and also to the bank to release the funds to your chosen supplier?

I can then get both messages sent off to both addresses straight away. Please ask the supplier to confirm the order and also the bank to confirm that the release of the funds from my account had taken place. Both should send the confirmation here at Bedford Place within the next hour that this has been taken care of.'

Mr Stone agreed to that and started working on the messages. They were ready in no time. Sidney gave them to Mrs Cooper to send out via messenger. They were duly sent.

Sidney worked on a draft message to Mr Stringer whilst Mr Stone was working on his messages.

His message to Mr Stringer was advising him that the materials should reach him at Sanditon by Monday next week and that he should start contacting the labourers. He also told his overseer that the funds for the labourers' salaries would be with Sidney when he returned on Saturday this week in order for them to get paid. He also confirmed that their payment would be weekly.

This brought to Sidney's mind that Tom needed to be put to work from Monday onwards as well. He needed to call for an impromptu Parker family meeting on Saturday afternoon. He drafted another message to Mary asking her to make sure that Tom, herself, Arthur and Diana were available at one in the afternoon and that there was option to opt out of it.

He put both messages aside for now- he would send them later on today. He was about to address his accountant again when he heard the main door closing. He knew Mrs Cooper's knock and guessed that the responses from the previously sent messages have arrived.

He was indeed correct. He read both replies and then passed them on to his accountant. Mr Stone nodded approvingly. Sidney took up both of his other two messages – the one to Mr Stringer and the one to Mary- and asked her to send them out on with another messenger. He was hoping that the messages would reach both of them within the next couple of hours.

Mr Stone waited patiently until Sidney finished his arrangements with his housekeeper. Sidney turned towards the accountant and asked him about his bill. Mr Stone gave him the document and Sidney confirmed that the amount should be paid to him later by tomorrow.

Mr Stone said, 'Mr Sidney, it has been a pleasure helping you with all of these documents. Do let me know if you need any further assistance. Would you mind terribly if I left, sir, if that is all? I am due for another appointment in half an hour's time.'

Sidney said that there was nothing further, thanked his accountant again and bid him goodbye. Once Mr Stone left the room, he sent another message to his bank to pay Mr Stone for his services. He would indeed be using him again as he was most impressed with his work. A most competent and efficient accountant.

He was surprised that it was only ten thirty in the morning. He had a half an hour to spare before Mr Thompson's visit at 11.00.

He was hungry again. He felt rather a naughty school boy when he went to the cookie jar in the kitchen and stole two chocolate cookies out of it. The cook and Mrs Cooper just grinned at him and let him get away with it. He grinned up at them both and asked them to send up fresh tea and cakes at his study on time for his eleven o' clock meeting. Both ladies nodded and he was off to enjoy his chocolate treat at his study.

Chapter 29- The solicitor's second visit

Sidney enjoyed his treat. He was just finishing the last bite from his chocolate cookie when the maid came in with the refreshments and Mr Thompson following behind her.

Sidney got up to greet his guest and bid to sit down. He served both some tea. Sidney noticed that his guest looked harassed. 'You are looking thoroughly frustrated with yourself, Mr Thompson. Is there anything amiss?'

Mr Thompson smiled weakly at his client. 'Clients are not always as pleasant and cooperative as yourself, Mr Parker. Some of them turn out to be more difficult than others. The best one can do in such cases is go through the experience and hope that he comes out in one piece. It worked in my case and I am sure that your offer of hospitality and your cook's cake will complete the cure.'

Sidney sympathised with him, 'I know exactly what you mean, Mr Thompson. Take a moment to catch your breath and enjoy your tea. We can talk about our business when you are more to yourself.'

Both men took their time as they discussed the latest carriage accident on Regent Street due the manhandling of a good horse. They both wondered how can one mistreat animals so and how uncomfortable those horses must be with those blinkers. It was an apt topic for discussion, thought Sidney to himself, Tom was very much like a horse with blinkers. He could only stray his eyes on one direction and he would listen to no advice from others.

Sidney snapped out of his thoughts and suggested they start. 'How did you get on with the documents, Mr Thompson?'

Mr Thompson was feeling more himself after the refreshments. He looked through his documents and passed them on to his client:

Document giving Mrs Mary Parker access to the household accounts

The marriage settlement

The Sanditon committee draft

Sidney took all the documents from his solicitor and checked their content carefully. They all looked as they should.

'Mr Thompson, they are as they should be. Thank you for bringing them to me. I have an albeit sensitive question for you. I will be holding a family meeting on Saturday afternoon, so I was wondering whether it would be wise for you to be present. Would that be appropriate in your opinion?'

Mr Thompson observed his client for a few moments. He then responded, 'Mr Parker, you are trying to reign your brother in in a way that he will not expect. No matter what his bad points are, he is human enough not to want to be humiliated in front of strangers. It will be enough that he is to be shamed in front of his siblings and wife. I believe that my presence would be unnecessary, but you are welcome to mention to your family that I do support you on your decision.'

Sidney said, 'That is wise advice, sir. I will take it. Have you had a chance to prepare your bill?'

Mr Thompson presented the document to his client who took his time to peruse it. Sidney was satisfied with it and confirmed that he would send a message to his bank later on today for the payment to be sent to him.

The solicitor thanked him and took his leave. Sidney wrote his missive to the bank and asked for a messenger for it to be sent off. When this was done, he discovered that he had one whole hour to himself which pleased him immensely.

He thought of his next meeting. Lunch with Jeffery. His friend was a pedantic one when it came to appearance. He needed him to agree to his request for a marriage license. What harm would it do to refresh himself? None at all. Therefore, off he went to find his valet for a change of clothes suitable for when an archdeacon was to come for lunch.

Chapter 30- Rising like the phoenix

Whilst our Sidney was primping himself before his lunch, Mr Stringer was just about to finish his when somebody knocked on his door. He was certainly a very popular man these days, thought he internally.

He went to open the door to find another messenger handing him another message. This time he made sure that he thanked the weary man for his delivery. Manners are important- he felt for the poor man! He looked exhausted! If only he had something to offer him, but sadly there was nothing.

Off the messenger went and James Stringer finally satisfied his curiosity enough to read the contents of the message. It was from Mr Sidney Parker telling him to find the labourers and that the building materials were to be delivered on Monday next week. The fact that the men were to be paid on Saturday for a whole week's work would also be welcome.

The lack of work in Sanditon plagued many families at present. The news that the building work was going to resume would be very welcome news to both their families and the labourers themselves. Most of their children needed new clothes as well. It would be as if Christmas had arrived early!

He was full of energy all of a sudden. He intended to continue working on the architectural plans as he was doing in the morning, but this message changed his priorities. The plans could wait until tomorrow morning.

He thought to himself that rounding up his friends and telling them some good news was an excellent use of his afternoon. Therefore, suiting the thought to the action, he put his hat on and headed towards the tavern where he knew that they were having their lunch. It took him an hour or so to convince them, but the effort was not wasted. All forty of them agreed to start work on Monday. Mr Stringer was on top of the world. Things were going right for once!

Chapter 31- Lunch with the archdeacon

Sidney was about to receive a very welcome surprise with the next messenger who was to appear at Bedford place this afternoon. He was coming down the stairs when that said messenger was let in and gave his delivery to the maid. The maid was just passing it on to Sidney when the bell rang showing Jeffery at the front door.

Sidney was right about his friend's punctuality. Both men were pleased to see each other. Lunch was already ready, so he lost no time showing his guest to the dining room. He took the opportunity to leave the messages and the two rolls of paper on his desk in his study on his way to the dining room. He would satisfy his burning curiosity to read them after lunch.

He took a moment to observe his friend's appearance. He looked happy in himself albeit a bit older than when they were in Oxford. He wore the standard attire of an archdeacon- a black long costume with white in its collar. Jeffery unbeknown to Sidney was noticing the differences in Sidney as well. There was a glow around his friend- a glow that is only there when one is deeply in love.

The maid served their lunch, as per Sidney's instructions, and then left them alone in the dining room. The two friends caught up with their news- there was a lot to catch up with as they had not seen each other for ten years. It was fun rehatching old and fond memories from their university years and enjoying the well-cooked food.

Both men kept their discussion to casual matters throughout the meal. It was just nice to find out about each other's life again without focussing on anything serious or unpleasant. They did so for an hour when Sidney suggested they take their coffee at the study. Jeffery could only agree to the suggestion.

Sidney asked the maid to bring their coffee to the study. It was there, after both men entered, that Sidney asked his friend to sit down and help himself to a cup of coffee whilst he took a moment to look at the delivered messages.

It was a good thing that Sidney was near the chair when he opened them as Jeffery could see that his friend's facial expression had changed from joy to sadness in a second. Jeffery noticed that Sidney's face that was at first full of colour, then momentarily left him looking pale and haggard. Sidney had to sit down to collect himself before speaking up again.

Jeffery was concerned about this change of demeanour and asked anxiously, 'Sidney, what is the matter? Bad news? What is it?'

Sidney was grateful for Jeffery's calm nature. He could do with it right now. He spoke with difficulty. 'I… am well. Don't worry. I have just had a bit of a shock, though. I need something stronger than coffee. Do you fancy a brandy?'

Jeffery did not partake a lot- his parishioners would not appreciate that on an archdeacon, but he saw no harm to a small glass after lunch purely for medicinal purposes. He agreed to the suggestion. Sidney passed him the glass and sat down on the chair opposite him. He took some steadying breaths and a sip from the brandy glass before looking up at his friend and replying, 'I have a lot to tell you before I ask you something very particular. It is a long story, so brace yourself.'

Sidney went through his whole story with Charlotte from the beginning until the point of her collapse. He also told Jeffery about Tom's financial troubles which were the cause of Sidney's presence in London. Jeffery could only stare up to Sidney in wonderment. 'Wow, Sidney! That is quite a story. However, this story does not explain your reaction earlier. What was in these messages?'

Sidney responded, 'The messages were responses from our main investor concerning some of my questions. She very kindly sent me an update on some new investors who are to meet me here on Friday morning. That is all good news. Nothing bad I assure you. The business side of things has been progressing very nicely.

However, she also mentioned Charlotte. I told you that she was still in her coma and that she was showing no reaction at all. Yet, Lady Susan mentioned that Charlotte shed some tears when Georgiana mentioned my name to her. That is what shocked me. Before I tell you the rest, allow me to introduce you to my future wife- that is if she accepts me after all I have put her through.'

Sidney got up and picked up Georgiana's sketch of Charlotte and gave it to Jeffery. Jeffery looked at it earnestly and smiled at his friend, 'She is beautiful, Sidney. No wonder you love her so. Knowing you though, I gather it is not just her looks that attracted her to you. Am I right?'

He took the drawing from Jeffery, smiled at his Charlotte with a goofy smile and said, 'She is, isn't she? I adore her- having her likeness here whilst she is away from me softens the blow a bit. I miss her dreadfully. Her wit and cleverness are not a match to any other woman in my acquaintance. You would really like her- she loves discussing philosophy especially Heraclitus. She also has the gift of challenging me at every step. I shall never be bored having her in my life. '

'She likes philosophy and challenges you at the same time, hey? Only Sidney Parker would find a woman who would discuss philosophy with him and is a spitfire. Good choice, my friend! Yes, I love discussing Heraclitus myself as you well know. I look forward to discussing my views with your future bride.'

Sidney laughed aloud at that comment, but then suddenly went all sombre and serious. 'Exactly! Now let me explain why I went white earlier today. I was pale because I cannot stand making Charlotte sad. Her smile delights my soul, her tears kill it. What kills my soul even more is that those tears were there in the first place because of me. I put her in her current condition. I toyed with her affections making her believe that I would offer for her and then, like the fool that I was, I went to break her heart by announcing my engagement to another woman.'

Jeffery looked at his friend sadly, 'You are not wrong there. You have not been the best of gentlemen, I must admit. You know that I have always called a spade a spade. I wonder whether you have ever thought about asking her what her opinion was on Tom's problem and also for her help?'

Sidney blushed profusely. 'No, Jeffery, I did not. It has been such a long time that I have had anyone there for me that I forgot that it was even possible. I forgot what it was like. I did not mean not to ask her- I guess my male pride, which Lady Susan very rightly chastised me for, got in the way. You see, Charlotte, has an excellent head in a crisis. Unfortunately, I do not. Therefore, I panic, and I react inappropriately at times choosing the incorrect solution to the problem. She would have found another solution without me having to be chained to Eliza Campion for life as her slave.'

Jeffery nodded knowingly, 'Not considering your future partner's opinions and advice is not a good sign for your relationship. I have seen many a marriage break down because of it. If you really want to have a happy life with your Charlotte, you cannot do this in future. You have a lot to make up to this lady and I suggest you start sooner than later.'

Sidney responded, 'I realise that now and I do not intend to repeat the same mistakes again. I asked Georgiana, my ward, to send me both our sketches in order to ask our friend Lovejoy to put the drawings in a locket for her. There is a lot more grovelling I need to do in person, but I thought this would be a start.'

Jeffery agreed, 'It is not a bad start. I do hope that you mean to continue so, though. When are you hoping to return to Sanditon?'

Sidney said, 'I hope either on Friday afternoon or on Saturday morning. It depends on how the rest of the meetings go on Friday morning. This brings me to my request. I know that she has not accepted me yet. However, I want to spend as much time as possible with her once I am back there. I was hoping whether you could grant me a common license for us to marry when she is ready. Would you help me, Jeffery?'

Jeffery grinned at him, 'I could torment you and say no, but I believe that you have already had enough grief to last you a lifetime. Yes, of course. I will be delighted to help you with the license. Shall I send it to you by messenger tomorrow morning?'

Sidney cried in excitement, 'Thank you Jeffery! That is extraordinarily kind of you. I cannot wait for you to meet her.'

Jeffery laughed aloud, 'That is the Sidney I know! Welcome back! Make sure I get an invitation to the wedding, will you?'

Sidney exclaimed, 'You will be one of the first guests to receive it, I promise!'

'Sidney, old friend. It was wonderful catching up you with you. As lovely as this lunch has been though, I do have to leave you as I need to prepare my sermon for tomorrow. Would you give my greetings to our friend Lovejoy? And keep in touch!'

Sidney said he would, he shook his friend's hand heartily thanking him again and wished him a good day. He was grinning like a fool- he kept grinning just looking at Charlotte's sketch. As he had predicted, Jeffery stayed for two hours exactly. This left him with the two hours that he had hoped to have free.

He thought that this has been a great day so far. He needed to relax a bit before dinner. A good nap was in order- it would give him enough strength to endure Lovejoy's exuberance in the evening. He took Charlotte's sketch with him and asked to be woken up in two hours' time.

Chapter 32- Lovejoy Green's visit and letter writing- Part 1

Sidney woke up from his nap with a clear head expecting to spend an enjoyable evening with his friend. He decided not to get up straight away- he wanted to spend some time thinking of different ways of how he could show Charlotte how sorry he was that he had hurt her and how dedicated he was to their joint future.

He started enumerating the different options in his head. He would first ask Lovejoy to get both their sketches copied. The next step would be to put both Charlotte's and his portrait in a golden locket for her to keep. That locket would also have extra spaces added to it for the pictures of their future children.

He allowed himself a moment of daydreaming. He could imagine them having a small girl with dark wild curls and clever bright eyes who had her mother's bright smile that would light a room up. She would get away with most things just being cheeky. He could also imagine a small curly-haired boy who was the perfect blend of both Charlotte and himself. He had no doubt in his mind that any children of theirs would be beautiful and that they would break a lot of hearts. Absolutely no doubt at all!

He sighed happily at those thoughts. Yet as pleasant as they were, he had to force his thoughts back to his current situation. Where was he? Ah, Charlotte's golden locket! Yes, he would ask Lovejoy to do that for him. He would also ask him to find a golden watch for him with Charlotte's sketch in one of its flaps. This way he would have her with him at all times even when he was away from her. It would not be the same thing. Yet it was better than having nothing at all.

He hoped that Charlotte would agree for both sketches to be framed at a later stage and put them in their home. He would ask Georgiana to finish them off with watercolours when he was back in Sanditon.

What else could he do? She liked reading. He could find a book of love poems. It would be something they could do together once she was up and about. It would also help having the book around as he could read to her whilst she was recovering. He liked that idea very much indeed! Well done, Sidney!

However, that was not enough. Presents and poetry are good for courting which he had every intention of doing. Nevertheless, courting her would not show her how sorry he was that he had hurt her without meaning to do so and it would certainly not prove his dependability and devotion to her.

What would help would be proper communication between them. Charlotte has not woken up yet, so they could certainly not discuss what had already happened and how they could move forward from it. This would also not work because they were both in two different places at present- he in London and she is in Sanditon. Therefore, this option was really not an option for him right now. He put it aside for the future.

He carried a small beacon of hope in his heart by what Lady Susan wrote in her message about Charlotte's reaction to the mention of his name. If she reacted like that just from hearing his name being spoken of, then how would she react if someone read one of his letters to her? It needn't be a long letter. Just something short and meaningful to both of them. He wondered whether her mother would allow that liberty seeing that they were neither courting nor were they engaged.

The more he thought of the idea of writing to Charlotte, the more he liked it. He could write his letter and address another letter to Charlotte's mother asking her to read it to her daughter. He had nothing to lose, but everything to gain. The worst that could happen was that she would ignore his request. He would then make it in person and ask to visit Charlotte himself. He was excited! This would be his first letter to her!

Speaking of letters, he needed to check his own business transactions. His ships were due to arrive from the West Indies soon- it would do him no good missing any deadlines or having to travel to London again. He had to do that today. He also had to take some precautions before the Parker family meeting on Saturday afternoon. Tom needed to be taken by surprise. He thought of Mary and his siblings for a moment. They needed to be prewarned and the Sanditon committee signatures needed to have been obtained well before Saturday.

Sidney was then resigned to some letter writing before Lovejoy's visit, after his departure and tomorrow. He did not like writing them. Doing so at this stage, though, would save him further trips to London. That was precious time that he could spend with Charlotte. Writing a few letters was a small price to pay if he thought of it like that.

He was in the process of getting dressed when Mrs Cooper knocked on his door. It was exactly five in the afternoon, which left him two hours to sort out as much of his business as possible before Lovejoy's arrival.

The first port of call for him was his own business affairs. He checked the paperwork for the freights on his ships and their dates of arrival. It all seemed to be in order. He did not actually need to be present when the ships arrived as his assistant did a sterling job checking the wares. However, he did check that the paperwork was in order just in case anything did not seem to be right for any reason. His assistant, as capable as he may be, was human like the rest of us.

Talking about wares, Charlotte's silk and lace have not been delivered yet. He would give it until tomorrow afternoon and then send a message to captain to follow up. He wrote a reminder to himself to act upon this.

His own business affairs were in order to his relief. Therefore, unless something went very wrong, he would have no need to travel to London on that account. He checked the time. It was five thirty. He had one hour and a half to spare.

He decided to proceed with his letter to Charlotte- a very pleasant task for him. He had to think what he could say. He ended up writing the following:

_My dearest Charlotte,_

_I have not heard your beautiful voice since you collapsed in front of me. I miss our talks and your happy laughter which brightens my life. _

_I was completely out of my mind when I saw you fall in front of me. Ask Mary if you dare not take my word for it. I realised then that I had shattered a heart so precious- your heart my darling for I still love you devotedly. I could not proceed with the engagement with the lady no matter how much her money might have benefitted Tom. _

_Therefore, I wrote to Mrs Campion to call it off right after your collapse knowing full well that I might never see or speak to you again. I always hoped, of course, but at the point of your collapse we did not know what caused it._

_The engagement has been officially called off. Your friend, Lady Susan, also helped us by making Mrs Campion leave the country and travel to the continent. Eliza Campion will not darken our doorstep any time soon._

_I have been inconstant and unfair to you- it seems that I keep underestimating your good sense and clear head in a crisis. I should have taken you with me to London and we could have found a solution to Tom's problem together. I can just imagine how hurt you must have been. In truth, it looked to you that I gave up on us too easily. _

_Believe me, my sweet Charlotte, it was not because I did not love you. Far from it. I have never stopped- I love you more every passing day. It was just that I have depended upon my own counsel expecting no help from anyone and being offered none in return. That is a difficult habit to break- I hope you will teach me otherwise. _

_I vouch to you that should you forgive this fool who loves you, I will seek your wise council in all things. All I require is the chance to prove myself to you. I do not expect it, but I fervently hope that you will give me a second chance. _

_I know your kind heart too well not to predict your next question. Yes, Sanditon is safe. The Regent gave us his financial support via Lady Susan. All the debts have been paid and the insurance has been bought. There will be no more fires around to endanger anybody's happiness._

_The building work is going to start again on Monday next week. The materials are already under way there and Mr Springer is currently putting together the workforce. All those unemployed labourers and their families will have an income again for the next three weeks._

_I have spent my time in London finetuning the details of the whole Sanditon business, my own business arrangements and putting preventative measures to avoid future mishaps. I have spoken to lots of interesting people whose discussions I know you would love to know the content of. I have lots of news to share with you. I hope to return to Sanditon on Saturday this week. __Please let me tell you in detail all that I have done here in London._ _Please let me tell you in detail on all that I have done here in London. _

_I am making sure that I conclude all my business here in London so that once I am back with you in Sanditon, that I do not leave your side. Would you grant me my dearest wish to see you awake and hear your voice again? I miss you more than ever. I would like to court you and win your trust back. Please wake up for me sweetheart!_

_Yours forever,_

_Sidney_

Sidney always thought that writing ones feelings down had a sort of a cathartic effect. He felt cleansed after putting all his jumbled thoughts in his letter to Charlotte. Almost serene inside. It was a good feeling. He checked the time again- it was six thirty. Ah, he only had half an hour to go.

The next letter to write was to Charlotte's mother. He had not met the lady yet, so that made writing to her all the more difficult. He ended up writing:

_Mrs Heywood,_

_my name is Sidney Parker, Mr Tom Parker's brother. I am aware that you know nothing about me. In fact you have never met me before- you have no idea whether I am a good man or not._

_All I can tell you is that I love your daughter Charlotte with all my heart and soul, Mrs Heywood. I would like to court her, should she let me, and then marry her, should she accept such a fool such as myself. I am happy to submit to any questions that you may have for me when I am back to Sanditon this weekend. Submit to any terms that you place upon me without protest. _

_Lady Susan sent me a message here in London mentioning Charlotte's reaction to the mention of my name. I dare not hope she will still have me. Even if she doesn't, you still need to have your daughter back and Miss Alison her sister. She needs to wake up from her coma. _

_Please allow me to help her. I have written her a letter explaining everything. Would you read it to her? It may help her get better or it may not. Should we not try? I will leave to your discretion whether you accede to my request. I most sincerely hope you do for we all miss her and want her back with us. _

_I look forward to making both yours and Miss Alison's acquaintance this weekend. _

_Yours sincerely,_

_Sidney Parker_

Sidney had beads of sweat dripping from his forehead by the time he finished writing that letter. That was exhausting.! He should check the time. Not bad. It was ten to seven. Lovejoy had the tendency to be five minutes late in every appointment- quite the opposite of Jeffery. That gave Sidney fifteen minutes to compose himself with the reward of a small glass of brandy.

Chapter 33- Lovejoy Green's visit

It was a good idea for Sidney to have enjoyed his fifteen minutes' of peace and quiet. The moment five past seven in the evening ticked on the grandfather clock at the corridor, the whole room shook from the explosive enthusiasm of Lovejoy Green. So much so in fact that it made the maid who opened the door wince from the shock and Mrs Cooper to smile widely.

Mrs Cooper knew Mr Green from when he went to university with Master Sidney in Oxford. She really liked him for his jolly character, so she made a special effort to greet him along with Sidney at the door. Sidney grinned at her knowingly as if he had certainly expected her to be standing next to him. She in return expected Master Sidney to react like that to her presence and pretended to ignore that look- Cheeky boy, indeed! He knew Lovejoy was one of her favourites and he fully expected a delicious meal had been prepared with all of his guest's favourite foods.

Lovejoy entered the room with gusto and stopped on his tracks when he spotted his friend and the housekeeper. He shook Sidney's hand energetically and twirled Mrs Cooper around in a hug as if she was his long-lost sweetheart. Sidney barely kept himself from laughing aloud at his housekeeper's bright red cheeks.

Lovejoy grinned at both of them happily and winked at the housekeeper, 'Sidney, old chap, it is so good to see you again. It has been far too long since we have met. Have we not met since our graduation in Oxford? Time has certainly flown by, has it not? And, Mrs Cooper, you are still as beautiful as ever. You are ageless. Pray what is your secret, care to share?'

Sidney welcomed his friend and Mrs Cooper gave their guest a cheeky smile with a slight bow. She also welcomed him warmly and announced that dinner had already been served in the dining room for them to enjoy. Mrs Cooper was aware that neither the other servants nor herself were to bother either gentleman until they had finished their meal.

Sidney showed Lovejoy to the dining room where they enjoyed a sumptuous dinner with red wine and double chocolate cookies for dessert. Lovejoy loved chocolate even more than Sidney, so he practically inhaled each cookie instead of chewing them properly. Both friends were laughing aloud from glee and mischief by the end of their dinner.

It was a merry meal. Sidney loved Jeffery's calm nature but enjoyed even more Lovejoy's thrill for life. You would never have guessed what a hard life Lovejoy has already had. He was orphaned at the age of fifteen, he worked hard, and he was chosen for a scholarship in Oxford.

His parents' choice of name for him was also particularly unfortunate- they named him after one of the characters of their favourite book. The amount of stick this man has received due to his first name throughout both his early schooling and throughout university has truly been something else. Yet, he prospered, and the beau monde could not do without him! The man was a marvel to behold. Therefore, Sidney enjoyed his company tremendously. Now that they have reconnected, he would make sure to keep in touch with him and introduce him to Charlotte when the right time came.

Sidney invited his guest to his study for a coffee. Mrs Cooper had predicted their wish, so their coffee was waiting for them in there.

Lovejoy spent some minutes studying his friend's face- Sidney was a fool in love. He himself was a man with a happy disposition- yet he knew when he needed to be serious. He knew that this was a serious moment and that Sidney needed to confide in him. He smiled widely and asked, 'So, my friend, what is up? Do spill the beans!'.

Sidney smiled at his friend's approach. 'Well, Lovejoy. I will respond. However, you have to promise me that what I tell you will stay in this room and that the news will not be spread in the salons of London. A lady's reputation is at stake.'

Lovejoy pretended to sulk, 'Oh, how you wound me, Sidney! Of course, it will stay between us. Go on, tell me!' Thus, Sidney told him about Sanditon and Charlotte and what he required of him. He showed him the sketches of both Charlotte and himself and waited.

Lovejoy took his time to look at them carefully, 'Those are beautiful sketches, indeed. Your ward is certainly a gifted artist- not to mention the loveliness of your bride-to-be. It should not be difficult to put them in a locket for your girl and her sketch in the flap of a golden watch for you. I predicted your request- yes, Sidney, I can read minds- why do you think the beau monde loves me so? - so I brought some samples to show you.'

He took the locket and the golden watch from his jacket pocket and passed them over to Sidney. Sidney looked at them carefully and exclaimed, 'They are both perfect, Lovejoy! Can this be done before Friday this week?'

Lovejoy nodded and said, 'Shall I get my assistant to drop them off to you here on Thursday morning?'

Sidney agreed to that suggestion enthusiastically, 'Have you by any chance brought me some engagement rings and some wedding bands with you? Oh, and also the aquamarine gift set I asked you for?' Lovejoy wordlessly passed on to him both the rings and the aquamarine set. Sidney took the items from his friend's hands eagerly.

He focussed on the collection of engagement rings. Most of them were rather intricate, which meant that they were not appropriate as they would be too fancy for his Charlotte. She had a simple and honest soul, and this was better reflected by one made of white gold with the Irish knot on it. That was the one, thought he to himself. Sidney also had a look at the golden wedding bands and chose two of them. The aquamarine set comprised of a delicate golden chain peppered with aquamarine stones and a matching bracelet. The colour of the stone reminded him the colour of the sky when Charlotte and himself shared their first kiss at the cliffs. It was perfect!

Lovejoy was observing Sidney's reactions to the pieces and marvelled how love makes a fool of us all. The man was glowing with happiness! Good for him! He deserves a bit of good luck.

Sidney showed his friend the rings that he has chosen. He also asked about engraving Charlotte's rings and locket with the message 'You are my sunshine! Yours always, Sidney'. Lovejoy said that he could get them done by Thursday as well and get them to him then. His assistant would also bring his bill over.

Sidney agreed to all of this and confirmed that the payment will be sent to Lovejoy as soon as the items had reached him on Thursday. It was nine in the evening when both friends parted with the promise to keep in touch.

Chapter 34- Charlotte S.O.S

_Where are those happy days, they seem so hard to find__  
__I try to reach for you but you have closed your mind  
Whatever happened to our love  
I wish I understood  
It used to be so nice, it used to be so good_

_So when you're near me, darling can't you hear me, SOS  
The love you gave me, nothing else can save me, SOS_

ABBA S.O.S

Sidney was sitting on his chair admiring the aquamarine set. He was entranced by it. He so wished that he could give it to her immediately. Alas, he could not. He sighed loudly to the quiet room. Oh, well! He could focus on things that he could achieve instead. He picked up both Charlotte's and her mother's letter and prepared them to be sent out by messenger. Mrs Cooper answered his summons and got them dispatched.

If anyone asked Sidney what he currently felt, he would answer that he was feeling a mixture of happiness and extreme terror at the same time. He has just sent out the two most important letters for his future. Yes, he was terrified what would come out of it! His thoughts went to Charlotte. What she thinking and feeling? He allowed himself to daydream until he felt too tired to think and went off to bed.

Charlotte was last roaming above a field of daisies being read the bible by Betsy. She heard her mother, sister and Lady Susan speaking to her. She also heard Dr Fuchs and another man who accompanied him- she did not catch the second man's name, though.

She wanted to greet her family- she was so happy that they were with her. She somehow found this proved rather difficult- she could not understand what kind of power would pull her away from them. She seemed incapable of saying a word to anybody.

She could only listen to her mother's descriptions of her siblings' adventures, her sister's impression of Sanditon and Susan's news. She so wanted to ask Allie whether she managed to go to the beach. Has she bathed yet? Susan told her that Mrs Campion was no longer engaged to Sidney and that Sanditon was safe. How? Why? When? Oh, so many questions! Georgiana also read to her and told her that Sidney went to London at Susan's request. When would he be back? What was keeping him?

Charlotte's frustration was rising by the minute. The rise of her frustration was only larger than the rise of her curiosity. Apparently, there was a routine. Someone moved her limbs morning and evening- it was mostly her mother and sister- she was grateful for that. She could hardly imagine Susan helping her with something like that. It would certainly not be proper.

Someone was always with her. It was either her two family members or Georgiana, Susan, Mary, Betsy and last but not least that sweet Mrs Smith, the cook. Oh, those leek pies she baked! Delicious! She should tell her mother about that recipe next time she spoke to her. She also believed that she heard Diana as well. How kind that lady was to visit her!

There were new smells and new food. She could smell the seaside in her room whose sharp saltiness invigorated her whenever she went for a walk. She could hear jingling sea shells when the wind blew through her open windows in the morning. How pleasant all that was! She loved collecting seashells.

The broths were heavenly as well! She was given a new flavour every day. She kept trying to decide which one was her favourite. She could not decide just yet, so she would keep pondering further.

She could also taste milk. Milk! Lady Denham's donkey milk? Surely not! She did not remember hearing her. She was sure to remember if she had. Did she share her preferred choice of health remedy with her, Charlotte Heywood? How very odd!

Her literary views were also expanding rapidly on top of everything else. Alison, Diana and Georgiana read to her 'Much Ado about Nothing' with Arthur reading out the male roles. It was masterfully done. She wished she could speak to congratulate them- they were truly magnificent!

Charlotte felt that she was a spectator at the theatre. She was a passive participant with no input. She was an active lady whom being passive did not suit her temperament in the least. Yet, she was comfortable just to watch for now. It was soothing her soul. She felt loved, spoilt and cared for. Why did she not want to take part in her life, then? What was stopping her?

The more attention she received, the more she craved it from someone who was absent. Every time she heard his name being mentioned, her heart lurched. Where was Sidney? How could she tell someone that she wanted to see them? Oh, how very frustrating all this was! She had to find a way forward!

Chapter 35- Mrs Heywood investigates

Wednesday morning dawned both in London and in Sanditon. The day in London was bright and sunny whilst a storm with high winds was brewing in the seaside town. This was unusual as it was a place that was blessed with good weather most of the time. This Wednesday was very different and both the Sanditon residents and its visitors felt it keenly.

It was a good thing at least that the messenger that Sidney sent the previous night had already arrived. The poor man would have been drenched! The Heywood ladies would normally walk to Trafalgar House, but Lady Susan suggested that they join her in the carriage instead of getting soaked to the bone. Both Mrs Heywood and Alison were more than happy to accept the lady's offer.

Lady Susan and the Heywoods made the short trip on the carriage without a drop of rain falling on them. Yet, they were chilled to the bone by the cold wind, so Mary had all three of them bundled up in the sitting room with a hot cup of tea in no time. It was at that time that Mary gave Mrs Heywood Sidney's letter not knowing its sensitive nature.

Mrs Heywood read the letter that was addressed to her whilst she was about to take a sip from her teacup. She paused, her movements stilled, and she went all stiff. All the other three ladies, Mary, Lady Susan and Alison looked at her in surprise. Alison was especially alert on her mother's mannerisms as her mother was literally never surprised. She never showed her shock even when she felt it. She asked in a worried tone, 'Mama? What is the matter?'

Mrs Heywood chastised herself for her reaction. She made a conscious effort to snap out of it and responded, 'I am well, don't worry, Allie. It is just a received quite a daring letter from Mr Sidney Parker. It goes against propriety. I have never met the gentleman, so I guess I was trying to figure him out. Is he even a gentleman?'

All three people in the room were surprised at that comment. Lady Susan asked gently whether she might be permitted to read the letter in question. Mrs Heywood trusted the lady's judgement, so she passed on the letter to her willingly. A second pair of eyes was always a good idea.

Lady Susan took her time reading it. She then smiled good naturedly at Mrs Heywood, 'Oh, you have nothing to fear, Mrs Heywood. Mr Parker is more of a gentleman than anyone I have ever met. You will see when you meet him on Saturday. It is just that he is besotted with Charlotte and she is with him, so much so that he would swap places with her if he could. You need not fear in reading the letter to her. I think it might even help.'

Mrs Heywood breathed out in relief. 'If that is the case, then I shall consider it. What has actually happened between him and Charlotte? It would be nice to fill in my gaps of knowledge. Would you not tell me?'

Both Lady Susan and Mary took it in turns telling the events to both Heywood ladies. Mrs Heywood was pleased to have her suspicions confirmed. She was right to think the other day that this Mr Parker could help her daughter. His thoughtfulness and offer to help touched her heart as she felt it in her bones that this would help. She made her decision and announced smilingly, 'This all sounds above board. In that case I am going to read his letter to Charlotte when I go up and see her. Thank you for this catch up, ladies.'

Chapter 36- Sidney's letter

It was indeed time for Charlotte's breakfast and her physiotherapy. She went up to Charlotte's room where Betsy was sitting down blue with cold. The window was open as per the doctor's suggestion. Mrs Heywood thought that the poor girl definitely followed instructions to the letter. Yet, she had hoped that she would have had the common sense to close the window by now due to the extreme cold. She greeted the maid politely and closed the window without admonishing her. It would have made no sense at this stage. The deed was done.

She then sat down on the chair that the maid had vacated. She started with Charlotte's physiotherapy exercises whilst she was waiting for Betsy to bring her daughter's breakfast broth. Charlotte skin was very cold, but it warmed up a bit as she went through with each exercise. Charlotte's body temperature was still not as warm as per normal, which concerned her a bit. She put the thought aside for now as the broth had just been delivered. She hoped that the warm broth would finish the job of warming her daughter up.

Charlotte herself was very cold. She could sense Betsy sitting in the room. She was wondering why she did not close the window. The next thing was that she heard her mother and she was very grateful for that. Her mother was a sensible lady- the window was closed. Thank goodness! Thank you mama!

Her mama followed their normal routine with her exercises. No, she was still not warm enough. Brr! Ah, she was hungry. She could smell her broth. She could taste it on her tongue. Oh, how lovely it tasted! Yummy! Then, no more broth! Where is the broth? I am still cold.

Charlotte was getting very frustrated. She could not even tell her mother that she needed a blanket to get warm again. Something made her pause her thoughts momentarily, though. Her mama was nervous. She could always tell. She could hear her reading her a letter. A letter from Sidney!

The coldness turned into a cosy warmth that spread throughout her body. Yet, as she heard each separate word that Sidney had written to her, she felt another sensation. A sudden lack of oxygen and made her lungs constrict painfully, her throat going dry and beads of sweat gracing her forehead. She also felt her body temperature rising to an unbearable point.

Mrs Heywood has just finished reading Sidney's letter to Charlotte. It was a beautiful one and it brought tears to her eyes as he was reading it. He really did love her daughter very much indeed. Her Charlotte was a lucky girl to have found such love. If only she would wake up! She was looking forward to meeting the gentleman.

Yet, her motherly instincts were telling her that there was something terribly wrong. She touched her daughter's forehead- she was burning up with fever and her face was all flushed. She could also see that she had trouble breathing. Whereas before she had been very still, she was now moving and thrushing around as if she was having a fit.

Mrs Heywood was terrified. Her Charlotte never got this ill! They had to get the fever down otherwise… Well, there was no otherwise. They simply had to. She ran out of Charlotte's room in desperate search of Mary. She found her hostess in the nursery with her children.

'Mary! Charlotte is running a high temperature and she is having a fit. We need Dr Levinson and Dr Fuchs immediately. We need to get her temperature down. Do also send a message to your brother-in-law and tell him to hasten his return to Sanditon or else he might be too late to see Charlotte. His presence might even help her get better sooner.'

Mary followed her guest out of the nursery. Mrs Heywood went to the kitchen to get a bowl of cold water and some cloths to dampen the fever down whilst Mary asked a footman to fetch both doctors to the house and wrote an urgent message to Sidney to be sent out via messenger. The messenger was summoned and the message that was to shake his world to its core was on its way to him.

Mrs Heywood returned to her daughter's bedroom. She has just been away for a couple of minutes. Yet, Charlotte was thrushing around the bed so much that she was all uncovered. She had now started mumbling Sidney's name. Mrs Heywood tried soothing her as she used to do when she was a little girl. It used to calm her right down when someone sang to her. It did not work this time. The thrushing became worse and her temperature rose.

Dr Fuchs and Dr Levinson were reviewing another patient's case together when the dishevelled and soaked to the skin footman entered the surgery urging them to follow him to Trafalgar House. They looked at each other worryingly, gathered all their instruments and hurried along with the lad to the Parker residence.

They were there in a matter of minutes. They entered the room to find a tearful and panicked Mrs Heywood trying to sooth her daughter and get her more comfortable with a cold cloth. Both doctors sprang into action and assessed Charlotte's situation.

Their patient was awake but even more gravely ill than before. The temperature and the patient's shallow breathing was what worried them most. They would need to have a cold bath prepared for her for the fever and a eucalyptus compress on the chest as soon as possible. They needed to prevent the cold settling in her lungs. They suggested those treatments to their Mrs Heywood who literally ran out of the room to make the necessary arrangements.

Charlotte's temperature was a bit lower after her cold bath- not gone mind you, which is what worried both doctors. The patient seemed to be a bit calmer- still thrushing around but less so- and the eucalyptus compress eased her breathing. Yet, she would not settle. She kept whispering Sidney's name non-stop. All that could be done for her now was to keep her as cool as possible and hope that their patient's immune system would kill the fever off.

Chapter 37- The arrow found its target

In the meantime, Sidney was having a productive and calm morning at Bedford Place. He got up earlier than normal to ensure that he had all the necessary documents in place and ready to be signed. Even the marriage license has been delivered nice and early!

He received both Charlotte's fabrics for her dress and jewellery items that he had commissioned from Lovejoy. He also received a message from Lady Susan's new investors advising him that they had another engagement on Friday morning, so they rearranged to meet up with him in Sanditon on Tuesday morning next week instead.

He was feeling content that everything that he had achieved in London. He even managed to finish hi errands three days earlier than planned. He was in two minds at this stage. Should he write the letters to his siblings and Mary prewarning them of the changes or not?

He was pondering on this conundrum when the bell suddenly rang. He furrowed his eyebrows at that. Who could that be? He was certainly not expecting any visitors. His curiosity got the better of him, so he left his study to find out.

He discovered Lord and Lady Babington at the lobby. He was delighted with the surprise. 'James and Lady Babington! What a surprise! How did you know that I was even in London?'

Lord Babbington grinned cheekily at his friend. 'Well, Parker, you could not have hidden from us for long after Lady Denham informed us of Miss Heywood's illness. She mentioned, the astute lady that she was, that you might just be lying low in London trying to get things sorted out. And here you are indeed!'. Pearls of laughter escaped from Lady Babington at that statement.

All three were in high spirits. Sidney was secretly pleased that he did not have to write any letters. Having guests was the perfect excuse not to do so. He asked Mrs Cooper to bring them refreshments at the sitting room where all three of them spent a delightful morning catching up. Sidney was about to invite to stay for lunch when the bell went off again. Well, it was a day of wonders! More visitors?

He excused himself from his guests briefly to find out what the fuss was about. The maid curtseyed and gave him another message. He took it to the sitting room to read whilst he was finishing his piece of cake. It might be the investors, who knows?

He opened the note and his body stiffened with terror. The longer that he read each line that Mary had written to him, the paler he got. He looked positively white and his hands trembled so much that the cup fell on the floor with a crash. He sat there with a blank look on his face in stunned silence. He felt as if someone had just ripped out his heart, cut it up into pieces and put it together again the wrong way around. He knew that he loved Charlotte, but until this moment, he did not realise that he could not literally live without her being in the world healthy and most important his. Just the thought of losing her was enough to make him lose the will to live himself.

Both Lord and Lady Babington were alarmed at this change of demeanour. The last time that Lord Babington saw his friend react so badly was when his parents had died. He fervently wished this had not happened to Miss Heywood as this would be something that Sidney would not survive no matter how much he tried.

He also knew that his friend would not say a word until he composed himself enough to do so. Therefore, he took the message from his hands, which made Sidney look up into his friend's eyes in a mute request for help. James Babington knew that look. He knew what Sidney wanted him to do. Sidney wanted him to bring Mrs Cooper, who consoled him when his parents had died.

He took Esther's hand and led her to the other side of the room. He showed her Mary's message- Esther smothered a small sob at the news. He asked her to prepare Sidney another cup of tea, add three lumps of sugar and some brandy in it and make him drink it even if he refused. He told her to keep any emotions at bay until he had returned with the housekeeper. He clarified that any sign of emotion at this stage would plunge Sidney in deeper despair. He also explained that Mrs Green knew how to get him out of his shock and once Sidney was again himself, they would take him to Sanditon. Esther nodded and got on with her husband's instructions without any objections.

In the meantime, Lord Babington headed toward Mrs Cooper's sitting room. If he knew anything about this lady, it was that she had set habits. She was currently enjoying her afternoon tea reading her favourite book. He knocked on her door and waited to be admitted.

Mrs Cooper was pleased to see another of Master Sidney's friends. Yet, she felt anxious over this particular visit. She knew that something has happened. Lord Babington lost no time in telling her of Sidney's story with Charlotte and the happenings in Sanditon. He also recounted to her the arrival of the message and Sidney's reaction to it. She nodded in comprehension and followed him to the sitting room.

They found Esther trying to convince Sidney to have his hot beverage. Esther looked at her husband and indicated that she had had no success in convincing him to do so. They could all see that Sidney was in deep shock. Mrs Cooper asked the young couple to prepare for the trip to Sanditon. They left the room hoping that Sidney would recover by the time they had to leave. The sooner they got him to Charlotte, the better he would be.

Mrs Cooper sat down next to him and started stroking his hair as she did when he was a little boy. At first, there was no response from him. He simply stared at his hands. Then, his shoulders started shaking from grief and he was engulfed in the housekeeper's embrace. She held him as he cried without speaking for a good half an hour before the sobs subsided.

Sidney seemed to be more himself after a good cry. He looked up at his housekeeper, who was observing him with kind motherly eyes. He said in a voice clogged with tears, 'I am sorry, Mrs Cooper, I did not mean to break down on you like that. Has Babbers told you about Charlotte?'

Mrs Cooper replied kindly, 'Yes, he did. I am sorry, Master Sydney. I guessed that your current good mood had to do with a lady, but I refrained from saying anything to you lest I was wrong. She will be well- you need to go to her. You cannot despair. This will not help your lady. I sent your friends to prepare the carriage. What do you need to take with you? How can I help you?'

Sidney smiled at her sadly, 'Yes, of course you are right, Mrs Cooper. Would you help me put my trunk together? Come, I have a picture of Charlotte to show you.' They went to his bedroom leaving the door open for propriety's sake. Sidney brought Charlotte's sketch and showed it to her.

Mrs Cooper smiled at him proudly, 'She is a beautiful lady, Master Sidney.'

Sidney managed to give her a real smile this time, 'Yes, she is, Mrs Cooper. She is very kind and clever, too. Do you know that she has another 10 siblings and that she has knack with children? Mary's children are patty in her hands. I only hope to reach Sanditon on time to make a difference in her recovery. I can also hope that she will forgive me enough to accept me and be my bride.'

Both of them worked diligently together to prepare his trunk. Sidney put his personal items in it and all the documentation that he had acquired during his stay in London. Mrs Cooper passed him all of Charlotte's gifts and the sketches. In only one hour he was ready with both his trunk and Charlotte's gifts all wrapped up inside it. The trunks were moved to the lobby waiting for the Babbington carriage.

In the meantime, the kind housekeeper prepared a picnic for the three travellers making sure to add some sweetmeats for the Parker children. She also made Sidney drink that sweet cup of tea with brandy- this time he drank it and was very grateful to do so. He was also given the largest chocolate cookie that he had ever seen. He was emotionally exhausted, so this sweet beverage and his favourite dessert restored him to his normal equanimity. Thus, the Babbingtons found a more collected albeit sad Sidney waiting for them.

Chapter 38- On to Sanditon

The three travellers were on their way to Sanditon at last. There were not very talkative at first as Sidney spent the first half hour of the journey taking a nap. When he woke up, he attempted to apologise for his reaction in the sitting room.

Esther was the one who spoke up instead of his friend, 'Sidney, you had every right to be upset. There is no need to apologise.' Lord Babington added to that, 'I agree with Esther, old friend. There is no need.' Sidney smiled at them both and spent the rest of the trip lost in his thoughts. Neither Esther nor James interrupted him respecting his privacy. They spent some of their time in the carriage relishing on the goodies that Mrs Cooper packed for them.

Sidney was nervous and scared. He was thinking of Mrs Cooper's advice. She was right- if he broke down, then this would not help his Charlotte. He did not know what he would find once they reached Trafalgar House. However, he was sure of one thing- he would move heaven and earth to save his love. Of that he had no doubt.

The carriage stopped in front of the Parker family house at four in the afternoon. The Babingtons exited their carriage and waited for Sidney to follow. Lord Babington could see that he was terrified. He shook his friend's shoulder slightly and whispered to him, 'Courage, Sidney. You only have to take some steps to get to her. She is only through this door. Come on, she is waiting for you.' Sidney took a deep breath, nodded and exited the carriage.

A maid opened the door to them, and they entered. The footman made sure that the trunks were unloaded and brought into the lobby. The picnic basket was taken to the kitchen so that the treats can be given to the children.

The house was quiet, eerily so, until Dr Levinson stepped into the room. The good doctor looked very worried. Hence, his look of relief when he saw Sidney was definitely telling, 'Mr Parker, you are the man of the hour. Miss Heywood is critically ill with high temperature that has not gone down no matter what we have tried. She cannot settle and keeps asking for you. Please come help us settle her before she harms herself. She is not letting us treat her or get her temperature down. Her mother is currently with her.'

Sidney emitted a tiny sob and looked at Lord Babington, 'Courage, come on. Go to her.' He followed Dr Levinson obediently without uttering a word. When they entered, Mrs Heywood looked up- she instinctively knew this was Mary's brother-in-law just from his air of grief and the way she was looking at her daughter.

Dr Levinson made the introductions between them. Sidney bowed politely and smiled sadly at the lady, 'It is pleasure to meet you, Mrs Heywood.' Just this simple greeting made Charlotte pause her movements for a moment and all the people in the room did notice that fact. Dr Levinson suddenly became more hopeful about his patient's recovery. She then resumed her movements and it broke Sidney's heart in two. What had happened to her?

Mrs Heywood replied, 'And I you, Mr Parker. Sit by Charlotte, she needs you. We will give you some privacy.'

Sidney sat on the chair and he took Charlotte's hand. He stroked it lightly and pressed butterfly kisses on it, 'Hello, my love. I am here.' Charlotte's mutterings stopped for a moment. Her senses were on overload and she feared that they were deceiving her. She feared that she would wake up and that he would be gone again.

'I promise you, it is me, your Sidney- I have only ever been yours. I am back in Sanditon. I will not leave you again. Please let the doctor help you, my darling. Get better soon. I want to tell you my news from London as I promised you in my letter. I also brought you some presents. I want to look in your beautiful eyes and tell you that I love you and that I want to court you, if you would have me. I cannot live without you- it would kill me not being with you.'

He delivered this speech with a voice clogged with tears. At this speech, Charlotte stilled her movements and her breathing normalised. Her lungs cleared and she could finally breathe freely. She was so happy that it hurt! She had a reason to come back. He was back. Her Sidney was back! She opened her eyes, smiled widely at him- that smile that made him weak in the knees- and whispered to him, 'Hello, trouble'.

Sidney's smile was brighter than the sun's on a hot sunny day. He was so deliriously happy to speak to her again that he did not care that he was crying like a baby. All he could utter was, 'Oh, my love, you are back! Never leave me again, I beg of you!' and kissed her gently on the lips.

Chapter 39- Sweet nothings

Both Sidney and Charlotte were grinning like fools. They were unconsciously doing the same thing- memorising each other's faces lest one of them disappeared from the presence of the other one.

Charlotte lifted her hand and wiped the tears off his cheeks. 'You are crying. Don't cry. I don't want you to be sad.'

Sidney took her right hand, kissed each finger tenderly and reassured her, 'They are happy tears. I have missed you so very much.'

Charlotte sighed at his words and smiled cheekily, 'How much?'

He knew she was teasing him, yet there was another underlying current on this question. It was sadness that she dared not express. 'As much as the moon misses the stars at night. I thought of you every single moment when I was in London. I have such exciting things to tell you. First things first though, I brought you a present.'

The enthusiasm on Charlotte's face was unmistakable. He would do whatever it took to keep her feeling like that. He pulled out the locket from his jacket pocket and showed it to her.

'Let me see!', claimed she enthusiastically stretching her arms to him. It was the expression of an excited child who is eager to open his presents on Christmas day. He smiled back but kept the locket back for a moment. He simply said,' You will have it once I get paid for my troubles. You were one who called me trouble after all. I have to prove my mettle, haven't I?'

She laughed heartily at that comment. Her sweet laughter filled the room- oh, how he had missed that melodic sound! 'What is the price for your present, kind sir?' said she, knowing full well what that was. She was tingling all over with anticipation.

'I would like a kiss, my love. Will you let me kiss you?' She blushed prettily and nodded at him.

Sidney had dreamt of this moment every night and daydreaming about it during the day. Yet, the reality of it was even better than his dreams. Her face was flushed from the fever but glowing from a glow that came from within her. Her eyes were soft and bright with large dilated pupils focusing on his face. Her lips were as red as ripe cherries and he could not wait to taste them. She had no idea what it did to him when she bit her bottom lip slightly. He knew she did that when she was slightly nervous about something. Yet, he found it so adorable as she accompanied the gesture with a slight frown on her forehead.

He had to control himself, though. He did not want to frighten her. He caressed her cheek and her face with his finger. He bent to kiss her top lip first and then caressed her bottom lip with a soft kiss. Their breathing increased along with the beating of their hearts. He waited until he could feel her moving her lips the same way over his. That was it! He was aware only of her, her kiss and oblivious where they were. Her lips were sweet and they tasted of honey. He was already addicted to her kisses!

The heat between them increased. He parted her lips gently with his tongue to deepen the kiss gently. He could not help himself. It was not proper, perhaps, but the moment their tongues touched, he felt a thousand fireworks explode in his head blinding him and the electricity that was created because of their contact going down his spine with an intensity that he had never known before.

He gathered that Charlotte felt the same as her breathing became even more laboured and the speed of her kiss increased. She was literally devouring his mouth. It was such an intoxicating feeling that he did not want it to end. Their tongues chased each other relentlessly. He could not help releasing a groan that escaped from the back of his throat when Charlotte brought him closer to deepen the kiss further and started playing with the loose curls at the back of his neck. He delved even deeper trying to taste every inch of her delicious mouth until she herself moaned slightly. He lifted her from the bed slightly, brought her closer to him to feel her warmth. She was driving him to destruction!

Charlotte was not any different either. The kiss made her flush as a bolt of electricity travelled throughout her body. She could not have him close enough. She somehow found the strength to bring him closer to her by moving both her arms around him. Oh, those curls at the back of his neck were simply irresistible!

They continued kissing for what it seemed like hours whilst in truth it was only ten minutes. It was as if both of them have been thirsty and they could only quench their thirst with each other. No one and nothing else would do.

Sidney was starting to feel the effects of her kiss, so he decided albeit unwillingly to slow their kiss to a natural stop. He did not want her reputation to suffer nor did he want to trespass on her mother's goodwill.

He kissed her cute freckled nose that had exactly ten freckles on it and whispered to her, 'I wish I could show you how much I adore you, my love. You are my life and soul and I cannot do without you.' Charlotte sighed happily and whispered back at him, 'I cannot do without you either. I love you so much, my darling Sidney!'

It was the first time that she had told him that she loved him. It was as if the missing part of his soul fell into place in line with hers. It has been a long time since he had felt this happy and this loved. 'Just knowing that you love me, my darling, makes me the richest and happiest man in the world.' said he, giving her another deep kiss just to prove his statement. They stopped for air and hugged for a moment until their breathing came back to normal.

Once they were both recovered, Charlotte teased him and demanded her present. 'I believe, kind sir, that you have been amply paid for the present you were to give me. Now can I have it, please?'

Sidney could not help continuing the tease further, 'That was just the deposit. It will take a lot more kisses, my sweet love, to cover the full value. Yet, it will do for the present. Here you are. Open it.'

Charlotte took it from him, she gave him a cheeky grin that made her face glow even further and she opened the locket. She was not sure what she expected to find in it. What she did find though made her incredibly happy. She saw that the locket had lots of different compartments in it. Only two of them were filled. The first one was his portrait and the second one was hers. The rest of the compartments were empty.

'Oh Sidney, it is so beautiful! This way I can always have you with me. I love it, thank you. Yet, I wonder why are the other compartments empty.'

Sidney looked at her adoringly, 'They are for the pictures of our children, my darling. Yes, I would like to earn back your trust, court you and if you'll have this fool as your husband, well, marry you. How does it sound to you? Is it a good plan?'

She planted a soft kiss on his nose and his lips and agreed, 'I like that plan very much, indeed. I would like a proper proposal when the time is right, though.' She gave him a tight hug which allowed him access to her neck. Sidney was not one to miss a chance like that, so he peppered her neck with butterfly kisses, which made her giggle from happiness in return.

Sidney released her from the embrace and took a moment to look at her properly. She was still flushed, which concerned him slightly. He touched her forehead gently. 'You are still quite warm, sweetheart and your breathing is still very shallow. Now will you be a good patient and let the good doctor treat you? Your mother has been crazy with worry and I have so many things to share with you, but I can only do so until you are in full health.

I thought I had died inside when I received Mary's message summoning me to Sanditon post-haste. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I was in full shock for ten minutes. Ask Babbington and Esther if you do not believe me. They were with me in the same room at the time. Poor Esther did not know how to handle it.

It was a good thing that our housekeeper in London has known me ever since I was a child and knew what to do to snap me out of it. Otherwise, I would have still been sitting in the sitting room at Bedford Place looking at the blank wall.'

A lone tear slipped down Charlotte's cheeks at his words and asked sadly, 'I am sorry, Sidney. I did not mean to worry anybody. Especially not you and my mama. It is just that I was trapped inside my head with no motivation to come out in the real world until you came back to me. I missed you, my soulmate, and life did not seem worth living without you in it. I promise to be good for the doctor- I do not like staying in bed for too long as I get very bored. How did … your housekeeper help you get over your shock?'

Sidney blushed for a moment before saying, 'She let me cry it out and then made me drink sweet tea with brandy. She completed the cure by giving me the largest double chocolate cookie that you have ever seen. She knows that I love them, and she always keeps them around when I am in London.'

She laughed gleefully, 'Chocolate cookies, hey? Well, aren't you lucky, that I have the perfect recipe for them, and I love eating them as well? We shall make quite the team. Be aware sir that you will be my primary source of entertainment whilst I am recovering. You have been prewarned- I am a terrible patient when I get bored!' He laughed at that comment.

'I look forward to tasting them, darling and entertaining you to your heart's content. Now let me help you wear your locket and call your mother. It will make her feel better knowing that you are with us again. Shall I ask her to bring you something to eat?'

She thought for a moment, 'I am hungry for something other than broth. Promise me that you will not feed me broth in the near future. I have eaten so much of it that I do not wish to taste it for a good while. The cook makes this delicious leek pie. Would you ask mama to bring me one of those? I have been craving for one, but I could not ask for one such dish when I could not wake up. It was most frustrating until you came to release me, my handsome prince charming.'

Sidney thought to himself, 'Only Charlotte would be capable of making me blush twice in a day in her presence.' Aloud he said instead, 'Yes, darling. I will tell her. Lie down for a moment and rest for a bit- I will get her for you.'

He kissed her lips and forehead, smiled at her and left the room in search of Mrs Heywood.

Chapter 40- Discussions

Sidney left Charlotte's room with a feeling of elation. He made his way to the sitting room where he found the Babbingtons, Mrs Heywood, Mary, Dr Levinson and, he gathered, Miss Alison, Charlotte's sister. He could feel that all the people in the room were uneasy and tense. Yet, the moment they saw his smiling face, the smiles returned to their faces.

He smiled warmly at all of them and exclaimed triumphantly, 'She is awake and well.' At those words the room literally exploded with joy. Mary ran to embrace him, Mrs Heywood and her daughter were hugging each other with faces full of happy tears, Esther's eyes were teary with relief and joy, Babbers congratulated Sidney loudly and Dr Levinson looked utterly relieved at the news.

Once the celebrations died down a bit, Sidney addressed Mrs Heywood with a devilish smile, 'Mrs Heywood, your daughter is famished or as I call it as hungry as a lion.' The whole room erupted in gay laughter at that statement.

Mrs Heywood teased him back saying, 'Is she, Mr Parker? What did she want to eat? Allow me a guess- did she perhaps want the cook's leek pie? Did she also mention that she was totally fed up with any type of broth for the forthcoming future?'

Sidney chuckled at her, 'Why, of course, she did. I dare say the cook spilled her secret, didn't she?'

Mrs Heywood responded with a smile, 'She certainly did. The cook told me the whole tale about my daughter wanting to eat that pie in numerous occasions. She even gave me the recipe. There has been a pie in the kitchen with Charlotte's name written all over it lest she woke up ever since she became unwell. The cook would break no opposition and insisted in spoiling her rotten. I will get Betsy to fetch it for her.'

Charlotte's mother then got up and walked towards the direction of the kitchen to fulfil this errand. This gave the rest of them the opportunity to talk whilst enjoying the refreshments that Mary had asked to be delivered earlier.

Esther was very interested in getting to know Miss Alison. She wondered whether she would be as agreeable company as her sister Charlotte had been- her hoped were not dashed. Both ladies chatted amiably and got on like a house on fire.

This made Esther feel a bit better as she had not shown Charlotte the same courtesy when she first arrived in Sanditon. She could not undo the past. Yet, it made her feel less guilty treating Charlotte's sister better and showing her best self. She had been so focussed on her own problems at the time and what Edward was doing to her, that she failed to make her feel welcome.

She could feel her husband's eyes on her, and she knew that he understood exactly what she was doing. She gave him an affectionate smile and continued her discussion with Alison about the differences between Willingden and Sanditon.

In the meantime, Mary was talking to her brother-in-law. She asked him hesitantly, 'How are you, Sidney?' She knew that this question would also engage his friend's attention who was currently having a conversation with Dr Levinson.

Sidney looked at Mary, gave her one his real smiles and responded, 'I have had a day full of ups and downs, but now I am on the top of the world. It is a wonderful feeling to know that Charlotte is awake and that I am in the same town, nay, the same house with her, instead of miles away missing her like mad.'

Mary squeezed his hand affectionately at that response. 'You deserve this happiness, Sidney. It was long overdue.'

Lord Babbington entered into the conversation, 'I could not agree more, Mrs Parker. How was our patient once she woke up, Parker?'

Sidney explained, but he looked a little worried, 'She was alert albeit a bit disoriented. There was not as much confusion there as I feared there would be. I made her promise to behave and let you treat her, Dr Levinson. When I left her, her fever had broken, but her temperature still seemed higher than normal and she was still wheezing a bit. I am no doctor, of course. Yet, it did not seem right.'

Dr Levinson hastened to reassure him, 'Have no fear, Mr Parker. Now that you have woken our sleeping beauty up, half the battle with the fever and her breathing has already been won. I will examine her and check her breathing after she eats her meal. We still need to be careful and she still needs to rest. Yet, there should be no issue for her to enjoy short walks at the seaside after a day's rest. In fact, the fresh air will help her recover faster.'

Sidney smiled and thanked the doctor. 'Thank you for taking care of her, Dr Levinson. She is very precious to us, so we are eternally grateful to you.'

Dr Levinson brushed off the comment with a wave of his hand, 'Nonsense. It was my pleasure entirely. I cannot even take all the credit. Dr Fuchs did a sterling job and it was very much a joint effort. You are lucky to have him here in Sanditon as he is a very good doctor.

Yet, never have I seen a young lady being so much loved. You know, it is always a pleasure to see such community spirit in one place showing such selfless love for another human being without having an ulterior motive. The people care for Miss Charlotte without expecting anything back. Their reward is restoring her to her former health.

You see, Mr Parker, my patients in London sadly lack this spirit, which makes my profession a rather shallow and sad experience at times. It makes you lose faith in humanity. London can be a heartless place that drains your soul.'

The whole room was following the conversation between the doctor and Sidney. Sidney responded, 'Yes, Dr Levinson, I feel the same whenever I am there as well. I only remained in London for business reasons these past days, which took up most of my time. Luckily, I did not associate myself with any of the beau monde during my visit, for which I was most grateful. I certainly have no patience for that sort of thing. I hate being paraded like a parasol under the sun at the salons there.

The townspeople here in Sanditon may not be rich. Yet, they are very kind hearted when one treats them well. Charlotte…- his slip of the tongue made the rest smile slightly- I mean Miss Heywood has always been kind and considerate towards all of them. It is a one of her gifts. Do you agree, Miss Alison? You know your sister best.'

Alison blushed at being addressed directly by her sister's beau. She understood what Charlotte saw in him and she was convinced that her sister fell in love with those dimples of his. Especially, when the smile reached his eyes, just like now. She put her thoughts aside and responded, 'Yes, Mr Parker, she does have a heart of gold. All our siblings turn to her for comfort when they are upset.'

They had been enjoying their conversation when Mrs Heywood walked in. She addressed Dr Levinson. 'Dr Levinson, Charlotte has finished her meal. Would you like to examine her? Mary and Alison, would you go with him, please? I should like to speak to Mr Parker.'

They expected that this would happen. Lord and Lady Babington excused themselves explaining that they were to stay with Lady Denham and that they would take her the news of Charlotte's recovery. This left Mrs Heywood and Sidney alone in the sitting room. This also made Sidney feel very nervous.

Mrs Heywood poured him another cup of tea and asked him to sit down. 'Mr Parker, I believe we should talk, don't you?'

Sidney nodded in the affirmative still feeling too nervous to speak. Mrs Heywood continued, 'I would like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for bringing Charlotte back to us. I have just spoken to her. She is a changed creature from the fidgety girl from earlier today.'

Sidney was embarrassed, 'Mrs Heywood, you should not thank me. I could not but bring her back. She is very precious to a lot of people, not excluding myself from that list. I do not think I could be without her even if I tried.' He paused for a moment and asked the dreaded question, 'Have you read my letter to her?'

Mrs Heywood looked at the nervous young man in front of her and smiled at him affectionately, 'Yes, Mr Parker, I did. In truth, I did not know what to make of it when it reached me. You owe your sister-in-law and Lady Susan a debt of gratitude as they enlightened me on your real character. If not for them, I would have ignored it. I am glad that I did not ignore it. The moment I read it to her, she started being more responsive than she had been the past week and a half.'

Sidney bowed his head dejectedly at the lady's first comment, 'I cannot say that I blame you. The letter was really a desperate act of trying to fix what I have caused because of my utter foolishness. I have hurt your daughter really badly. Therefore, I am certainly not surprised that you thought me a rogue. I was of the same opinion myself. However, I have promised Charlotte that I would earn her trust and court her. She deserves no less. I am also delighted to hear that my letter has helped her.'

He asked nervously, 'Have Mary and Lady Susan told you what has happened between your daughter and myself?'

'Yes, they did, Mr Parker. Both Alison and myself have been told the whole story. I was initially furious with you for breaking Charlotte's heart and reducing her to her comatose condition. Yet, I could forgive anyone who loved my daughter so much and who worked a miracle in bringing her back to us in one piece.

Take heed though, sir, no further slips are allowed. Should there be even one, the whole Heywood clan will follow you like famished locusts until you have no place to hide. You need to prove your devotion to Charlotte as neither her father nor myself would allow further harm to come to her. She is our eldest child and we are not prepared to lose her again. Is that understood?'

Sidney nodded vigorously, 'It certainly is, Mrs Heywood. I would cut my own arm off before I dared hurt your daughter again. I don't think I could survive it, either, you know. Just the temporary thought that I might lose her, tore my heart in pieces.'

Mrs Heywood decided to lighten the mood of the conversation, 'Lady Susan was right about you. She did say that you loved Charlotte and that you were a one of the kind gentleman. She is a very perceptive lady. Now, tell me, what have you been up to whilst you were in London.'

He recounted to her how he had spent his days there and what he had achieved. He also brought out Charlotte's presents and fabric from his trunk, that was still in the lobby, to show her.

She was very impressed with him. What a proactive and thoughtful young man her Charlotte has fallen in love with! Her instinct told her that her daughter would be very happy with him. She smiled at him, 'You are certainly prepared for every eventuality, Mr Parker. That is very impressive. Your proactiveness will certainly save us precious time when you two are ready to wed.'

'Mrs Heywood, I trade with fabrics and wares from the West Indies all the time, so should you need anything specific or rare, I can certainly get it for you. All you need to do is say what it is. I can get my captains to send anything you need either here in Sanditon or in Willingden within a couple of days of my request.'

Both Sidney and Mrs Heywood spent another hour or so discussing all sorts of matters about his work. This impressed her even more and reassured her that her daughter would lack nothing. Her mind was made up. She would write to her husband and tell him of all this. This would make him even more open to having this kind man as a son-in-law when Mr Parker was ready to ask Charlotte either for a courtship or even better ask for her hand. Knowing how besotted both of them were with each together, she knew from experience that she would not have to wait for long.

Their discussion took them until dinner time when the whole Parker family and the Heywoods sat down to dinner. Charlotte was tired, so she dined in her room and slept peacefully.

Chapter 41- The Parker brothers

Mrs Heywood and Sidney were coming out of the sitting room, when the front door opened. Three rambunctious children, Henry, Alicia and Jenny burst through with a fed-up looking Tom and a red-cheeked Arthur following behind them.

Henry was the first to see his uncle and ran straight to him literally shouting, 'Uncle Siddy!' Sidney stepped forward to pick Henry up in a hug. Alicia and Jenny were equally excited to see their uncle and got hold each one of his legs not willing to let go. He disengaged his nieces, took a seat on the nearby settee in order for all of them to be more comfortable.

Sidney was truly delighted to see the children. He loved spending time with them whenever he was in Sanditon and he hoped to make up for the lost time with them now that he was back. Each child was telling him what they have been doing since he left in highly-pitched animated voices that would not be suppressed. He did try to moderate their voices a little for Charlotte's sake, but it was only half-heartedly done. He secretly delighted in their pure joy, innocence and enthusiasm.

They told him that they had gone to picnics, swimming, to their friends' birthday parties and how they baked a chocolate cake with the cook. They also spoke a lot of Tom and Arthur, how papa and their uncle were spending more time with them and how they missed Charlotte. They also told him how papa did not spend so much time working anymore and that they were happy that he played with them more. The children had inexhaustible tales of imaginary races and Napoleonic battles with rabbits and giraffes- in fact they sounded so funny that Sidney was in stitches. Oh, Charlotte would revel in this conversation!

This animated conversation between Sidney and his nieces and nephew attracted the attention of the other people in the room for different reasons.

On the one hand, Mrs Heywood was thinking how happy and content he looked. His natural boyish charm emerged in full strength and a really enchanting smile graced his face when he was interacting with the children. She was really happy to see what a natural rapport he had with them and how good a father he would be in the future.

She noticed that he took the time to really listen to them, he gave them his full attention for which the children rewarded him with their pure adoration of his person. She could clearly see that if the Parker children were to state their preference on whom they wanted to spend time with more amongst the male members of their family, then this person would be Mr Sidney Parker without a doubt. She also noticed that their father was envious of the welcome they gave their uncle.

Ultimately, this beautiful domestic scene really made her smile. Yes, thought she, my darling daughter, you are a very lucky girl indeed!

On the other hand, this interaction made Tom Parker realise that he was jealous of his brother, Sidney. Tom loved his children very much and he relished all the fun that they have had together this past week and a half. He was trying very hard to make up for any lost time with them. This quality time with them nourished his soul.

Yet, he did not feel complete as something was missing. After having decided to abandon his misguided dream of Sanditon, he felt as if he was drifting with no aim and no anchor in the open ocean. He had no real occupation to inspire his inner dreams. In fact, he felt as if had no dreams left to fight for and boredom was setting in fast.

He made himself bring his thoughts back to his children. They were really happy to have their papa's full attention- they seemed to want to flourish under it. However, he always had the feeling that they did not trust him enough yet to express themselves in the way they interacted with Sidney.

He had no doubt that his children loved him. He did feel though that they did so more because they should as he was their papa and not because they had a natural affinity with him as they seemed to have with his brother.

Tom did not have the imagination to join their imaginary battles, so when he tried to do so, the children could really sense that he was only doing that in a half-hearted way. He did not know how they would know. Yet, there it was.

His darling children had no such problems with Sidney. Here they were talking to him as if he was their long-lost friend and telling all manners of adventures that he, their own father, had had no idea of. Yes, thought he again, he was bone tired of all the extra effort he had to make and envious of his brother's seemingly easy way of engaging with the children.

In the meantime, Arthur was observing both Tom's reaction and the charming scene that Sidney and the children made. He could see Sidney's delight in seeing his nephew and nieces. He could also see the naked envy on Tom's face.

Arthur was always considered to be the baby brother of the Parker family. Sidney treated him as the man he was and respected him. However, Tom had the tendency to underestimate him. Tom underestimated how observant Arthur was of other people's reactions and his surroundings. Should Tom have asked him, then he could have told his eldest brother some very bitter truths. He did not though and this made Arthur feel very sad and underappreciated.

Chapter 42- An eventful dinner

This cosy scene was also observed by Mary and Diana who were returning from the kitchen. Both of them were in the kitchen checking on the dinner menu when Mrs Heywood came in the room gushing with the good news that Charlotte was awake and that she was hungry for the cook's pie.

Everyone in the room was thrilled with the news. In fact, the cook was so happy that she was already planning special treats for Charlotte with the perfectly acceptable excuse that the girl needed to recover her strength. Betsy, who was also ever so fond of her young mistress and she was overjoyed at hearing that she was awake, was immediately sent to Charlotte's room with the repast. Mary just smiled at her cook indulgently knowing full well that if she could cook as well as she did, she would have done nothing different for their dear Charlotte.

Both Mary and Diana smiled to themselves when observing the interaction between Sidney and the children. Diana, who was not fully aware of Sidney's attachment to Charlotte yet, attributed his good humour to his pleasure of seeing his nephew and nieces again. She knew that he had a special place in his heart for them. She did not pay any special attention to either Tom or Arthur- she just focussed her attention on Sidney.

Mary, though, who knew that her brother-in-law's good mood was partly due to Charlotte's awakening and partly due to his pleasure in seeing her children again, was overjoyed at the sight. She also breathed a sigh of relief for his happiness. The poor man has already endured too much- he needed some happiness in his life. Her happy thoughts on Sidney's happiness were unpleasantly interrupted when she happened to observe her husband's visage. She could see the raw envy there- she could sense its strength and that gave her goose bumps.

Tom's sudden change of habits had given her hope. Sadly she could now see all of her secret hopes of securing her family's future get dashed in the cruellest way! Mary was very proud of her husband throughout this past one and a half week. He paid more attention to both the children and herself. He seemed to be more considerate of other people's feelings and how his actions affected them. It felt that he had finally turned a new leaf and changed his priorities in life. He spent more time playing with the children instead of working and he also made sure that he spent time with her as well. She had been so very happy about it all!

Yet, seeing this look of envy towards Sidney on his face made her doubt his intentions. She thought it was because he had changed. He should not be jealous of Sidney. Their children loved their papa- he knew that as they were showing it to him every day. He was all they talked about. Sidney did not replace their papa in their eyes. Then why the jealousy? It really puzzled her.

Mary was a devoted wife and she loved her husband, but she worried about the children's and her future, should something happen to Tom. She knew that her dowry of £3000 would not be enough when divided between their three children. She was fully aware that her husband had invested every penny he had had on Sanditon without giving a spare thought to his family's future. There were no savings- no back up. It made her very sad- sadness that she could neither show to anyone not let anyone see it. She had learnt to become even more skilled than Sidney in hiding her real emotions.

In the meantime, Sidney was still engrossed in his conversation with the children without being aware of their audience until dinner was announced. The whole of the Parker clan and the Heywoods went in the dining room to partake at the meal. Dinner proved indeed to be both an unexpectedly awkward and interesting affair for its participants.

Sidney took his time to observe the group dynamics in the room. Mary looked upset – one could even say nervous, Tom was giving Sidney angry looks when the children addressed him instead of their father, Diana was her usual solicitous self to everyone and Arthur was very much the same and genial to all and sundry. The children thankfully remained unaffected and even very happy especially when they were told of Charlotte's recovery- in fact if it were not for their presence, the tension would have been even more pulpable. Sidney was very glad for their presence. It was the first time that he spent time in the same room as his eldest brother, so the children acted as the perfect buffer to Tom's passively aggressive behaviour towards him.

Mrs Heywood and Alison also felt the slight tension and silently communicated to each other to retire right after dinner. They would check on Charlotte and return to the hotel to rest. This would allow the Parker family to talk to each other and resolve whatever issue has come up.

Thus, at the end of the meal, the Heywood ladies announced their plan to the family and left to say goodnight to Charlotte. Sidney glanced at Mrs Heywood who nodded at his silent request to pass on his goodnights as well. He gave her a genuine smile and bowed his head slightly at her. He really was very lucky to have such a kind and considerate future mother-in-law.

The rest of the Parker clan went to the sitting room where there was no separation of the sexes. Sidney was in no mood being in the same room as Tom with no one else in there. The children wished the adults good night and the nurse took them to the nursery to prepare them for bed. Mary told them that she would come up to tuck them in and read them a story after their bath.

The adults remained in the sitting room feeling rather awkward with each other. The silence was broken by Tom, who had been overindulging in wine throughout dinner, who exclaimed in his most sarcastic tone, 'So, Sidney, what have you been doing in London? Enjoying yourself, were you when poor Charlotte was fighting for her life? What have you done for her? At least I went to get her mother and sister here in Sanditon. What have you done?'

Arthur, Diana and Mary looked up at that comment to see Sidney's face darken with barely constrained anger and Tom's face hosting an insolent expression on it taunting his brother further. Mary was disappointed and angry at her husband. How dare he say that? She knew that Tom was playing with fire. Tom saw Sidney in that catatonic state after Charlotte's collapse- did he really not understand how much Sidney loved her? She was well aware of how well Sidney could contain his anger, but involving Charlotte in this discussion was most likely to push Sidney to his extreme limit. Her husband has crossed the invisible line- Sidney would make sure that he would regret doing so.

Arthur and Diana understood something very important during this evening's dinner. Sidney was head over heels in love with Charlotte. They also realised that Tom's question has just put him in the doghouse with their brother. Tom has just made the biggest mistake of his life taunting Sidney with Charlotte's condition.

Sidney suddenly felt all the resentment, anger and frustration against Tom, that he managed to keep at bay in London, rise up again with a vengeance. He could tolerate any comment, but the insinuation that he was enjoying himself whilst his Charlotte was suffering.

His anger flared, 'Tom, I am warning you. You have no idea what has gone on in London and no idea what I have gone through. Hold your tongue or else!'

Tom snapped back at him, 'Or what Sidney? What are you going to do? You have not been in touch with me for a week and a half! I have had no news about anything despite seeing messengers coming back and forth giving messages to everyone else but me. Do you even care for this family at all? Do you care what is going to become of us?'

Sidney's temper rose even more and this certainly showed on the tone of his voice. It was as cold as ice. 'Tom! That is enough! I will not speak to you when you are inebriated. Sober up and we can talk. Not like this!'

Tom would not let this go. He was like a dog with a bone, 'No, I will not let this go! I need answers! You come back and the whole world revolves around you. You are the centre of everyone's world! I need some answers and I need them NOW!'

Mary tried to intervene, 'Tom, this is not the time to do this. You are not in the right frame of mind- you may say things that you may regret later on. Speaking in anger has not served anyone well. It is better to continue this discussion another time when you are sober.'

Tom glared at her, 'Et tu Brutus? First, my children worship the ground he walks on and now you, my wife, are on his side as well! How could you, Mary?'

Mary winced at that comment and tears pooled around her eyes. Diana went to her immediately and hugged her. She chastised her eldest brother, 'Tom, that is beneath you!'

Arthur joined Diana in his defence of Mary and went to his sister-in-law putting a protective arm around her shoulder, 'Tom, how dare you! Leave Mary alone. You have no idea what you are talking about!'

Sidney could no longer contain himself. He got up, grabbed Tom by the lapels of his coat, lifted him up the wall and roared at him in a low, threatening voice, 'You are my eldest brother. You have helped me in the past and I have never forgotten it.

You, though, Tom Parker, are a coward and a disgrace to the Parker family name! You undermine and chastise your wife and your family without knowing all the facts! You bring Miss Heywood into this when again you do not have all the facts!

You, are just a bully! I have never tolerated bullies outside this family, so, by god, I am not going to start letting someone like you behaving like one! Do you want a fight? Then, pick on me instead- someone your own size- most certainly not two women who have always tried to help you.

Your choices are those- you spineless worm! You either calm down and we talk this through when you have come to your senses or I will punch the lights out of you right now forgetting that you are my brother! Believe, brother, if I do, you will not be able to get out of this house for months to come! What will it be, hey Tom? I am waiting!'

Mary, Diana and Arthur had never seen Sidney lose his temper like this. They knew he was capable of this, but actually seeing this was frightening. Mary, for once, was too upset with what Tom said to her earlier today to intervene on her husband's behalf. She was honestly surprised with herself when she realised that she did not even want to do that. Tom deserved everything he got! Arthur and Diana actually secretly enjoyed the sight as well. They have both felt that Sidney's reaction to Tom's taunts was long overdue.

Tom gulped at Sidney's reaction and went as pale as a sheet. Sidney had always contained his anger despite his demands in the past. He had never once reacted, but now he knew that he had pushed Sidney too far. He was scared, so very scared that he knew that he wet himself in public! His breeches were all wet!

Tom looked both mortified and terrified at the same time. He could only stammer, 'I … will... behave.' Sidney put him down at that wiping his hands on his jacket as if he had touched something dirty and went to comfort Mary. Tom could only run out of the room to his rooms to change his breeches knowing full well that he would be the laughing stock of his household staff and the whole town of Sanditon the day after. He also knew that he had dug such a deep hole for himself that it would be difficult to get out of it.

No-one else in the room saw Tom leave apart from a footman who found his master's state so funny that he could barely hold his laughter. Oh, everybody would be in stitches once he told them.

Sidney, Diana and Arthur were fussing over Mary. Diana made her a cup of very sweet tea, Arthur got her to sit comfortably on the sofa covering her with a warm blanket and Sidney was holding her hand trying to get her to calm down. Mary herself felt so cherished that she did not know how she got so lucky to deserve such lovely in-laws. Despite it all, it took a good half an hour until she had recovered her wits and even then she could only say, 'Thank you for caring for me so.'

Sidney responded on behalf of the three of them, 'How could we not, Mary? You are very important to this family. In fact, it is a good thing that all three of us are in the room. There is something that I do need to talk to you all about without Tom being present.

You all know that Charlotte is awake and that I am in love with her. She loves me, too. Mrs Heywood knows that I aim to court her daughter and when she is ready to accept me, eventually marry her. I spent my time in London both preparing for my future with Charlotte and for the future of the Parker family in general. This involves you all three directly.

Our accountants and solicitors in London have put together some documents that you need to sign before the family meeting on Saturday. Do you all have time to meet me at my hotel room tomorrow morning at eleven? I know this all seems very much cloak and dagger, but I promise that it will make sense once I explain everything to you. Tom will have to sign his own set of papers on Saturday.'

Mary, Arthur and Diana agreed to that request. Arthur and Diana went to their house to retire and Mary to the nursery to tuck the children in. Sidney was then left by himself in the sitting room feeling all perturbed and wishing he could see his Charlotte after all this drama. Damn Tom! You know how to push my buttons!

In the meantime, Charlotte was being read to by Alison. She was just at the point of falling asleep when she was suddenly wide awake. Alison looked up at her sister's anxious-looking eyes, 'Lottie, what is the matter? What is worrying you?'

'Allie, Sidney is upset, is he still in the house? Can you get him for me? I know it is late, but I need to see him. Please, Allie!'

Alison was so overjoyed at having her sister back that she would fetch her the moon if she had asked. She could only agree, 'Yes, Lottie. I will check if he is still here. I will call Betsy to stay with you so that you are not alone in my absence.'

Betsy was called and stayed with Charlotte. Alison, then, went downstairs not expecting to find anyone. Imagine her surprise, when she saw Mr Sidney Parker in a state of perturbation in the sitting room. Lottie's instincts were indeed correct.

Sidney did not hear her come in, so he was surprised to hear his name being called, 'Mr Parker, my sister wants to see you.'

He turned at those words and looked at his Charlotte's sister with panicked eyes. 'Is she all right?'

Alison smiled and said, 'Yes, she is. She just wants to see you. Go to her. I will wait here.' He did not have to be told twice. He took two stairs at a time and he was in Charlotte's bedroom in two seconds. Alison thought to herself amusingly that he looked like those hares that Lottie used to hunt. They ran as fast as well.

Betsy excused herself when she saw him and left the room. The tension in his body disappeared the moment he saw Charlotte's worried eyes at him. No sooner had she sat down on the chair next to her bed, when she grabbed his hands tightly and said, 'What is wrong, Sidney?'

'I am well, my love, don't fret. Let us just say that Tom was in fine form at dinner tonight after drinking several glasses of wine. Such a fine form in fact that he made Mary cry and kept taunting me as is his norm. I ignored him at first, but when he started blaming his wife and brought your name into the occasion, my hackles went up. I called him a coward and a bully and gave him the choice of calming down or me punching the daylights out of him. Luckily, he chose the first option. Arthur, Diana and myself spent most of the time downstairs trying to calm Mary down.'

Charlotte cried, 'Oh, poor Mary! And poor you, my Sidney! I knew you were upset- I did not what about but I asked Allie to get you. I am glad I did.'

Sidney kissed Charlotte's hand tenderly and said, 'I am also glad you did, my darling. I was wishing to be with you as well. You know how to soothe me.'

She looked at him adoringly and asked, 'What are your plans for Tom?'

He smiled at how perceptive she was, 'You do know me well, don't you? Yes, I have plenty of plans for him- he will like none of them - I do assure you of that. I am taking all the control away from him. I will also discuss some plans with Arthur, Diana and Mary to help them become more independent. I am to meet with them tomorrow morning and hopefully break the news to Tom at a family meeting on Saturday morning.'

Charlotte nodded at that and started yawning. 'I know there are more details that I would like to know. Would you come and tell me tomorrow? Maybe even go with me for a short walk? I was awake earlier, but I am tired now. You need to sleep as well.'

He agreed to that, 'I will go and rest. I promise. Can I kiss you goodnight before I go, though?'

She blushed and nodded. Sidney sat on the bed, took her in his arms and gave her a mind-clearing kiss during which neither of them could think of nothing and nobody else but each other. It was as if that kiss dissolved all the previous upset of the evening as if it never existed giving him a clean slate to start the following day.

He hugged her for a couple of minutes after the kiss ended and then said, 'Sleep well, my darling. I love you.' Charlotte in return said, 'I love you too, my prince charming.' She then closed her eyes and promptly fell asleep. He stayed for some moments looking at her sleeping- she was so very beautiful when she slept! His own personal goddess! He kissed her forehead, which made her smile in her sleep and left the room.

He found Alison waiting for him in the sitting room. He told her, 'Your sister is asleep, Miss Alison.' Alison looked at him questioningly, 'Are you feeling better now, Mr Parker?' He smiled and responded, 'Yes, Miss Alison. Your sister is one of the few people who knows how to soothe me. I am more than ok now. Are your mother and yourself staying at the hotel? Would you like me to escort you both? I am heading towards there myself.'

Alison responded, 'That would be very kind of you sir. I will get mama.' In only 10 minutes, Sidney and the Heywoods- mother and daughter- were walking towards the hotel. Both ladies intended to breakfast at eight in the morning and invited him to join them. What better way was there to get to know his future family better! There was none. All three of them were tired and they ended up sleeping very well indeed.

However, there was one couple that would not sleep well- Tom and Mary Parker. Mary was still very upset with her husband so for the first time in their married life, Mary spent the night in the nursery whilst Tom was in their bedroom by himself. He tried to reason with her, but to no avail. He really did not understand how all this went so wrong!

Chapter 43- Getting acquainted

Thursday morning dawned. It would be a day that many a person would remember for different reasons.

It is best to start with some of the guests at the hotel. Sidney woke up after a refreshing sleep looking forward to starting his day. He took his time finishing his morning absolutions whistling a popular tune under his breath. He felt alive, awake and filled with nervous excess energy to burn- he was a bit like a hyperactive boy who had just had an extra piece of cake. In this happy and content state, he eventually made his way downstairs to the hotel's breakfast room where Mrs Heywood and Alison were waiting for him to break their fast. All three of them enjoyed their meal whilst discussing pleasant trivialities and Willingden. Both ladies were keen to describe their home to him, get to know him better and Sidney in return wanted to know every tiny tinsey detail about the Heywood. Thus, they spent a pleasant hour together enjoying each other's company.

They, then, went on their separate ways until they were to meet again at Trafalgar House later on today. Sidney expressly asked Mrs Heywood to tell Charlotte that he would visit her before one in the afternoon and that they would go out for a short walk. In the meantime, he opted to return to his room in order to sort the documents out for his meeting with Mary, Arthur and Diana. The more in order his thoughts were, the more productive the meeting would be. He was not at all sure how his relatives would react to the new arrangements. They may or they may not be surprised, but their future would at least be secure against most calamities.

Mrs Heywood also returned to her room to draft a letter to her husband telling him about Charlotte's recovery and Sidney. She also told him how impressed she was with Sidney's way with the Parker children. She tried to give her husband as many details as she could about their daughter's beau. This would make him more amenable to accept him as his son-in-law when Sidney finally asked Charlotte for either a courtship or her hand in marriage. Either option did seem that it would come to fruition soon in her eyes as both Sidney and her daughter were hopelessly besotted with each other. One only had to look at their happy faces to see that. She certainly made sure to mention that in her letter as well.

She was also toying with the idea about getting her husband and the rest of her children to Sanditon for a day out at the seaside. She missed both her husband and her other children- she ached to hug them and spend some time with them again. Neither of them had been to the seaside before. She knew that her husband would grumble at the idea of travelling, but she also knew that Charlotte was one of his favourite children and that he would not deny her anything.

However, this visit would depend on three things: Charlotte's recovery time, Mr Sidney Parker's eagerness to formalise his relationship with her daughter and the travel arrangements. She was forming a plan of action in her mind. Once all the conditions were right and the cost modest, then the whole of Heywood family could spend a carefree day at the beach in Sanditon enjoying each other's company. A day full of fun, sandcastles and no chores, which would delight her youngest children as they constantly complained about doing extra work at home. They preferred running around and playing above all as young children should.

Part of the day could also be a picnic for all the Sanditon residents- she would speak to both Mary Parker and Lady Susan about this idea. It would be an excellent way for the Heywood family to show their gratitude to the people of Sanditon for their care for Charlotte.

This gathering would also provide her husband the opportunity to get to know both Mr Sidney Parker and Mr Stringer better. Mrs Heywood would happily place a bet that Mr Stringer was enamoured with Alison and she with him. Her husband would get to know both beaus at the same time- oh, her husband would be more than amused with quizzing them about their potential compatibility for his daughters!

She was confident that her neighbours would help with the Willingden tenants for a couple of days should a problem come up in the family's absence. She was also fairly confident that Lady Susan may actually help her make any travel arrangements or at least make some suggestions on how they could be managed in the best possible and economical way. She made a mental note to discuss this with Charlotte's friend soon.

The long-term plan was, of course, for the Heywood family to return to Willingden at some point. Staying at a hotel was fine for a short time under exceptional circumstances, but being in one's own home was something different. She would see how things developed before making this decision. She put this departure plan in the recesses of her mind for the time being until she needed to pick it up again another more appropriate time.

All thoughts being as they should be, she called for a maid and asked her to send the letter off in the next post. Thus, satisfied with her arrangements, she made her way to Lady Susan's room, who was just finishing her morning routine after having breakfast in bed, in order for them to walk together to Trafalgar House as was their daily custom. Mrs Heywood really liked Susan and she was sure that she would miss having adult intelligent conversation upon their return to Willingden- written correspondence would replace their face-to-face daily discussions then. In no time at all, both ladies were walking towards their destination.

Lady Susan and Mrs Heywood found themselves in an earnest discussion about the new developments. Lady Susan was overjoyed that Charlotte was awake and listened with interest to Charlotte's mother's plans especially about the ones concerning the picnic and bringing the Heywood family to Sanditon. Lady Susan readily approved of the plan and promised Mrs Heywood all possible assistance when it was needed.

In truth, the past week and a half was at the same time both the most relaxing and stressful that Lady Susan had spent in a long while. It was a contradictory statement even by her own standards, but there it was. It was stressful because of Charlotte's illness and relaxing because Lady Susan could be herself again.

She thrived in the social circles in London- she was in her element there due to persona, that she put on in order to fit in the Ton and keep her influence on it intact. Yet, she was never herself- never Susan. People only spoke to her to get close to the Regent and she was secretly fed up with all this insincere attention. People did not care to know her, the person, and it frustrated her no end.

Meeting Charlotte at that London ball was the turning point. Lady Susan knew that she was a special person just from speaking to her for a few minutes which actually was the first honest and real conversation that she had held with anyone in months. She delighted in Charlotte's innocence who reminded her of herself when she was younger.

Lady Susan wanted to recapture her own self who had to compromise to survive. She used to be a carefree young girl just like Charlotte. However, she learnt the harsh reality of compromise when she married Lord Worcester. She had had a good marriage and she had loved her husband very much, but he neither prepared her for the viciousness and cruelty of the aristocracy nor even protected her from it. All her love for him could not make her forgive him that fault. In fact, she never did so.

She found out how to cope by herself through trial and error. She won out in the end fully aware that she had become a stronger person who could champion under any circumstances. This skill served her very well after her husband's untimely carriage accident and it resulted to her being the wealthiest widow in London, who ultimately became close friends with the Regent.

Yet, this experience made her weary and suspicious of people's motives. This is why she championed Charlotte and nearly destroyed Mrs Campion. Charlotte represented all that was good in the world whilst Mrs Campion all that was evil. That is why being in Sanditon did her weary soul a world of good. She could go for walks to the beach, she even bathed and actually enjoyed it very much. She mentally made a note to tell Charlotte about the bathing bit. She felt alive, refreshed and enjoyed a new zest for life. The Sanditon residents were kind and polite and never bothered her unless they wanted an update on Charlotte. The people here had no airs, no pretence and no ulterior motives. It was truly a wonder!

Knowing that Charlotte was on the mend was really just the cherry on the top. Lady Susan was a very content lady indeed. Now she would be even more content seeing her friend wed to her true love, Mr Sidney Parker- the grand lady had no doubt same as Charlotte's mother that they would not have to wait too long at all! She could not wait as she really loved weddings! Oh, the parties they would throw and the dancing that would take place!

Chapter 44- Alison and Mr Stringer discourse

Alison was on her way to Mrs Griffiths's house whilst her mother and Lady Susan were weaving their friendly nets around their loved ones. Georgiana has not been made aware that Charlotte was awake yet. Alison knew that she would be so excited at the news. Those pleasant thoughts distracted her to that extent so that she did not realise that she bumped into somebody. She looked up and she was pleasantly surprised to see that it was Mr Stringer, who seemed to be equally distracted.

They both blushed furiously when they realised whom they have bumped into. Mr Stringer thought to himself how beautiful Miss Alison looked with red cheeks and Alison how well his waistcoat fitted him. She remembered her manners and curtseyed politely.

Mr Stringer also gave her a slight bow and took the opportunity to greet her properly, 'Miss Alison, how are you this morning?' It sounded daft as she looked good enough to eat- alas he did not know what else to say.

Alison gave him one of her smiles- which by the way made him weak at the knees- and exclaimed, 'Incredibly well, Mr Stringer. I thank you for asking. I have news to tell you. My sister is awake and well. She woke up yesterday. Isn't this wonderful news? We are all very relieved. She is a bit tired and she does need to build up her strength- we do know, though, that she will recover in no time. '

Mr Stringer smiled widely in evident delight, 'That is indeed wonderful, Miss Alison. The whole town of Sanditon was worried on her behalf and this news will please them all immensely. Would you allow me to pass the news on?'

She responded, 'Of course, Mr Stringer. Charlotte would like them to know. They have really been there for her when she was unwell. She would not want them to worry unnecessarily. You know what a kind-hearted creature she is.'

He responded, 'She certainly is that. She really helped my father when he hurt his leg and she was ever so kind to visit him during his convalescence.'

The conversation, then, came at a standstill as both young people were too nervous to speak- this was felt acutely by them both. He could not leave this like that though. This was his chance and he would be daft to waste it. 'Miss Alison, may I escort you where you were going?

She relished the thought of conversing with him for longer, 'Certainly, Mr Stringer. I was on my way to Mrs Griffiths to visit Miss Lambe. She has not been told about Charlotte yet.'

He thanked his lucky stars internally as that was his exact direction, 'I would be happy to accompany you as it is on my way. I see that you are holding a book. What are you reading at present?'

Alison gave him one of her bright, happy smiles and said proudly, 'I am reading about the most famous buildings in London. I wanted to find out who designed them and when they were built.' She had to show him her interest in himself and his interests- talking about architecture was a sure way of engaging his full attention and getting him to relax around her.

The change in the gentleman's behaviour was remarkable. She relaxed straightaway and both of them engaged in an enthusiastic and in-depth discussion of their favourite architectural styles. They were so engrossed in this discussion that they reached Georgiana's residence sooner than they both wanted.

They stopped in front of the main door unwilling to part from each other. Both of them understood this. Yet, neither of them had fallen in love before, so they did not fully comprehend the mixed feelings of sadness and joy as well as the fluttering of butterflies in their stomachs when they were in each other's vicinity. It was both exciting and confusing at the same time.

Thus, they were too nervous to continue their conversation. They bid each other goodbye with the promise that Mr Stringer would visit Trafalgar House later on in the day to say hello to Charlotte. He walked away from Alison, but he could not help turning back to look at her again. She was still waiting outside the door looking at him go. She was smiling and waving at him with her hand. He was so happy at the sight that he could dance a jig. He had the faint hope that she may just like him back- a thought which made him deliriously happy!

Alison stayed outside the entrance of the house until he was out of her sight. She thought to herself and sighed aloud, 'Oh Alison, you are as lovesick as a mooncalf. There is no hope for you! You could not even say all you wanted to say to him. Oh, this is useless!'

Chapter 45- Georgiana and Alison

She put those thoughts aside, knocked on the door and waited to be admitted in the house where she found Georgiana sitting in the sitting room in the company of the Beaufort sisters. The sisters were playing a noisy game of cards. Alison could just see Georgiana rolling her eyes in exasperation when one of them or the other screeched from joy when they scored a point.

Georgiana's face instantly lit up when she saw Alison- she could finally escape all this noise! They performed all the necessary societal niceties until Georgiana could wait no longer and literally dragged Alison back to her room. When they got there, both girls started laughing uncontrollably for a good five minutes just thinking about the ridiculousness of the scene of the Beaufort sisters and their card game. It was not a nice thing to do as both sisters were good-natured girls enough, but it was impossible not to laugh. They could not help themselves even if they tried!

Once all their laughter had subsided, Alison shared her news with Georgiana who was crying from joy. She expressed her immense happiness on Charlotte's recovery and could not wait to see her. Thus, Georgiana briefly left the room to convey the news to Mrs Griffiths and ask her for her permission to visit Charlotte at Trafalgar House. Mrs Griffiths happily granted her this request and she saw both girls, Georgiana and Alison, practically running to that destination with an affectionate smile on her face.

Chapter 46- Sidney's meeting with Mary, Arthur and Diana

Some people were making their way to Trafalgar House and some other ones were exiting it. Mary left the children to spend the day with their nanny at the nursery without telling her husband where she was going- another first for their marriage. Tom was still in his room- he even breakfasted in there. She had no idea what his plans were for the day and she did not even care to know.

She still felt out of sorts from yesterday's upsetting scene in the sitting room. She was wondering where the man that she originally fell in love with went. Where did he disappear to? She sighed. She needed moral support, so she decided on a whim that it would be far better to go with Arthur and Diana to the hotel lest her depression from yesterday returned unexpectedly. She managed to reach their house just before quarter to eleven. Both Arthur and Diana were ready at her arrival and all three of them were in Sidney's room by eleven in the morning.

Sidney had already ordered some refreshments before his guests arrived. He greeted them and asked them to make themselves comfortable. They could see that he was nervous. Yet, they waited patiently as he outlined what he had done in London and how it affected them. He explained to Mary about his plan to give her the reigns of the household as well as his arrangements for the savings accounts for both the children and herself. He explained to Diana and Arthur about Tom's debt repayments to them. He also elaborated on the Sanditon committee and how much of a role they would play. He went further to explain what plans he had for Tom and how he was hoping they would turn out.

Sidney kept them entranced with all those glorious plans for a good half an hour. All three of them listened in wonder of him and his efficiency. Unbeknown to him, he had literally taken all of the secret and dearest concerns, dealt with the potential problems and presented the solutions to each of them tied with a neat and tidy bow.

There was an awkward silence after the explanations were given, which made Sidney feel rather nervous thinking that he had overstepped the mark. He felt, though, that it was wise not to say anything until one of them either spoke up or reacted one way or another. He went to pour himself some tea whilst they deliberated their response to those changes.

Their reactions surprised him greatly. Arthur was speechless- a very unnatural state for him, Diana was walking up and down the room in nervous agitation and Mary simply ran into Sidney's arms and promptly starting sobbing aloud. The sound of her sobs, on the one hand, stopped Diana in her tracks and on the other hand brought Arthur back to the present. Sidney felt it was best to let his sister- in- law cry it out and asked Diana to call for fresh refreshments. It was another half an hour after a lot of crying from Mary's side and a lot of tea drinking for the rest of them that they could discuss this change of circumstances.

Mary was the first one to speak her thoughts, 'Oh Sidney, you have just delivered the moon and the stars to us. Do you realise this? We are the luckiest family in the world to have you amongst us and Charlotte is going to be the luckiest woman in the world to have you as her husband. She will lack for nothing!'

Sidney blushed at this praise, 'Thank you Mary, but I have done nothing extraordinary. I was just making sure that the Parker family will live another day. It was mostly motivated partly by my selfish desire to make amends to Charlotte and come back to her as soon as possible.'

Arthur stepped in, 'Sidney, that is not true and you know it- you underestimate yourself. If that had been so, the plans that you put in place, should have been done by Tom. Yet, he did not have the presence of mind to act as you did. He only thought of his own ambitions and he did not care one fig about the prosperity of this family. I am sorry to say so Mary as he is your husband and my eldest brother, but it is the sad truth.'

Diana also offered her opinion, 'I agree with Arthur. Sidney has been more proactive for this family than Tom ever has.'

Mary had recovered enough by that point to comment, 'As much as it pains me to agree with you, I actually do. I do love my husband, but I have been dreading what would have happened upon his demise. There were no savings, no hope. I kept worrying with no-one to share my concerns. He had spent all the extra funds that were put aside for the children without even flinching.'

She looked affectionately at her brother-in-law and continued, 'Thanks to you Sidney I can now breathe easily and stop burying my despair of a bad situation deep in my soul. Hope is a powerful thing! I would be happy to sign any documents you give me now that I know that my children will have a secure future and that everything will be well. I am also happy to contribute in the Sanditon committee- it is my children's future after all.'

Diana added to Mary's comment, 'Yes, brother. I will help as well. The fact that the amount that I lent Tom is to be returned to me is also a huge relief. I am not in need, but it would be good to have that amount back.'

Arthur spoke up, 'Same for me Sidney. I will be more than happy to help. I have had my share of ideas on how to promote Sanditon and how to make it a success, but Tom never gave me the chance to prove myself to him. That amount, that he owed me, worried me as well as he never said anything about paying me back.'

Sidney smiled at them and exclaimed, 'I am so relieved at your reaction. Our future is indeed bright with no immediate debts providing we economize. There are more battles to come. We would need more funding and the family expenditure would need to be drastically curbed. The family solicitor recommended that the whole family move to our parental home in three years' time, which is when the current lease expires. It was also suggested that we rent both Trafalgar House and your home, Arthur and Diana. He felt that we could then put those savings towards the children's dowries. How do you feel about this plan?'

Mary gave Sidney a real smile for the first time since she woke up this morning, 'Oh, what a wonderful plan! I adore that house. I miss the garden and its large rooms. That is where my children were born. It also means that more money can be then put aside towards their dowries giving then the opportunity for a good match! What do you think, Arthur, Diana?'

Both Arthur and Diana nodded their approval enthusiastically, but it was Diana who responded on both of their behalf,' We agree with Mary. It is the most wonderful plan! That can only happen in three years' time though, Sidney. What else can we do to economize now?'

Sidney was extremely grateful for his sister's practical nature, 'That is an excellent question, Diana. Mary and yourself could consolidate the household expenses for both houses and perhaps the whole family could eat together at Trafalgar House. There is not enough room for both you and Arthur to move to the house, so you could still keep to your current abode with a basic number of servants. It does not mean though that you could not reduce any excessive expenses. The more we save, the better future the children will have.'

All three of his relatives nodded approvingly at that solution. Mary responded, 'We can most certainly do that, Sidney. Diana, would you be up for it? We could share the household management of all three houses- Trafalgar House, your house and Bedford Place in London. We could buy what we need to run all three households in bulk, which would save us a lot in the long run. I am confident there are areas we can economize without reducing our quality of life.'

Diana agreed, 'Absolutely Mary. I wholeheartedly agree.'

Chapter 47- The Parker Family becomes one

Arthur felt energized, 'Where are the papers, Sidney? May we have a look at them?' Sidney passed on the paperwork to them and he allowed them some time to read through them at their leisure.

Mary signed the agreement for the household accounts with immense satisfaction. It gave her an incredible feeling of power and control over a bright future that sorely evaded other ladies of her station. They would forever be dependent upon their husband whilst she would not be- she would be able to make her own decisions. All her innate insecurity vanished and her whole being was filled with confidence in her abilities and wonderful sense of purpose. She relished the thought that she would not have worry about any financial issues in future. What a blessed relief!

Diana and Arthur read the information on the debt repayments to them with immense satisfaction. The fact that the amount of £117 would be given to each them by Mary every month was even more reassuring. Once they signed each document, they brought the forms to Mary to sign as well as she would be the banker of the situation.

Sidney understood that they have signed the main documents and asked them if they had any questions so far. Mary was the first one to ask for clarification. 'Sidney, if I understand this correctly, you wish me to take £234 (£117 per person) from the household accounts every month and give them to Arthur and Diana, is that right?'

Sidney nodded, 'Yes, Mary. I do not trust Tom with any handling of funds. If the money come out of the household accounts every month, then both Arthur and Mary will get their money back. Once the amount of £7,000 has been paid off, then those £234 will be added to the savings accounts for both yourself and the children. That is why I emphasized the point of consolidating the expenses of both households. Even with the strictest economy it should take two and a half years for the full amount to be paid off.'

Mary gasped at that statement and looked at her brother and sister-in-law in surprise, 'Tom borrowed £7,000 from you and he never paid you back? Oh, dear me! Diana grab some paper and some writing supplies- we have some planning to do! Arthur, I know you love your food but would you let me handle that expense on your behalf in future?'

Diana asked Sidney for the supplies whilst Arthur responded, 'Of course, Mary. I only eat extra either when I am stressed or upset anyway. Eating a bit less would only benefit me and even reduce any visits to the doctor. I love your cook's cooking anyway, so you will hear no complaints from me.'

Mary moved the tea service aside and no time at all there was enough space for both Diana and herself to sit next to each other in front of the table. Mary addressed Sidney before they started their planning.

'Sidney, we would need our housekeeper's, Mrs Cooper's, help from Bedford House. We need to send out any supplies to her for safekeeping and only have the ones that we need shipped out to us here in Sanditon. Would you have a messenger on the ready for messages to be sent to her as well as our family accountant, Mr Stone? Mr Stone is a most efficient man, as you have no doubt discovered yourself. He could source the cheapest suppliers and buy the supplies in bulk on our behalf.'

'That sounds like an excellent plan, Mary. Yes, I can get that set up for you. Arthur, do you want to discuss any ideas you may have on Sanditon's development whilst Mary and Diana are doing their planning? We could write them down and prepare for the two new investors' meeting next week. Tom is not to be part of this anymore, so your contribution would be most appreciated. Once the ladies finish their planning, then we could add their ideas to our own. Sanditon is now a family affair and we are to work together to secure its future for the next generation. '

All four of them worked on their lists diligently. Once Mary and Diana had finished their planning, they joined Sidney and Arthur and added their ideas on Sanditon's development list. It felt so good to work on a project as a family. A feeling of togetherness and peace enveloped all four Parker family members and it cocooned them under a warm blanket on a frosty winter's day.

Arthur was especially touched after their family planning session was finished. He hesitated for a moment before voicing his thoughts to his brother, 'Thank you for the gift of being heard and being noticed, Sidney. You have no idea what this means to me. It has been so very frustrating not being able to express myself as I have always wanted.'

Sidney smiled at his younger brother, 'Arthur, you are an intelligent young man. The ideas, that you have already contributed today, show this in abundance. You should never be afraid to voice your opinion. It will always be welcome. I believe the time has come for us to sign the Sanditon committee paperwork. Ready?'

All four of them signed both copies of the document and passed them on Sidney. 'Thank you all for signing them. The next step is for Lady Susan and Lady Denham to do so. I can ask Lady Susan to do so later on today. However, we need to tread carefully with Lady Denham. Mary have Lady Denham and Lady Susan met yet?'

Mary thought carefully for a moment before responding, 'Actually, now that I think about it, Sidney. No, they haven't. We were so focussed on Charlotte's recovery that the visit to Lady Denham never took place. You have an idea, don't you?'

Sidney grinned mischievously, 'I do, indeed. That is where I need your feminine charms to be used at their maximum, ladies. I would like you to arrange an afternoon visit to Lady Denham with the excuse that you would like to give her an update on Charlotte's recovery and to be given the opportunity to introduce her to Mrs Heywood and Lady Susan. I will make sure that Lady Babington is also present on that visit.

I have no doubt that Lady Denham would agree to receive you- she took an interest in Charlotte whilst she was unwell and was worried about her. We need to charm the lady and get her to sign the Sanditon committee paperwork before the investors join us here next week. It is vital that we show a united front.

Diana laughed aloud at that plan, 'You know, brother, I believe all those games with your toy soldiers when you were younger came in handy, did they not? I still remember when you planned each stage of the battle with such detail that you rarely lost to Tom's army. I do agree with your idea. It is a very clever one. Lady Denham is quite vocal in her opinions and we need her to be on our side and certainly not against us.'

'That is all settled then. How about we write some messages for the messengers, family? Mary, you write the one to Mrs Cooper. Diana, please write the one to Lady Denham to set up the tea for tomorrow afternoon. I will write the one to Babington and get him and his wife on board this venture. Arthur, would you go and get the hotel messenger for us?'

Each focused on their own task until Arthur arrived with the messenger. The messages were dispatched accordingly and a visible sigh of relief overtook all of them. Sidney introduced the next dreaded topic of discussion- Tom Parker!

'This next discussion will not be pleasant. In fact, I am not looking forward to it at all. Alas, we have no choice but to discuss it. All four of us work well together, so I have no doubt that we will succeed in all that we do. However, we need to remove Tom from the picture before our plans come to fruition.

The clearing of the burnt houses and the building work is to start next week. Mr Stringer will be told that Tom will be working with the labourers to rebuild what has been destroyed. Our brother and your husband, Mary, will be paid the same salary as a labourer and that will be his only income. That is the reason that you are in charge of the household instead of him. He will work all day with his hands and he will learn a craft. He will be ridiculed by the people of Sanditon for his lowered status and he will be humiliated.

This means that he will lose both his status as a gentleman and his normal income from his inheritance. He would have no real expenses, but he will not like this change. He will be forced to sign a power of attorney giving up all rights from his inheritance to me. He will see an amended document of the same documents that you signed about his debt to you both, Arthur and Diana. He will know that Mary will be in charge of everything.

This will happen on Saturday. It will not be a pretty sight. Therefore, I would strongly recommend getting Charlotte, the children, her mother and Alison to visit Georgiana that morning and give all the servants the day off.

In my opinion, putting those measures in place is important. His frustration and irrational jealousy of me- yes, I did notice it Mary- is growing by the minute. Therefore, any innocent parties or possible gossip mongers should be removed from the house. Do you all agree with all of this? Do you have any other suggestions that you feel may help?'

Diana sighed aloud at hearing Sidney's plans, 'I personally agree with your plans. Judging from his reaction yesterday, he is capable of unleashing all his frustrations and complaints without caring who is present in the room. It is better if his reaction is contained to just the four of us.

It is such a pity that we have to even take such measures. Tom has a kind heart deep inside- unfortunately he has inherited his selfish trait from our mother- god rest her soul. I loved her dearly. Yet, it was such a struggle to deal with her moods. Tom is the same. Arthur, Mary, how do you feel about this?'

Arthur responded, 'It is the only action we can take if we don't want the whole Parker family to end up in debtor's prison. God knows we came close enough! I for one say go ahead with the plan.'

Mary listened to all of their opinions before stating her own, 'It is more difficult for me as under no circumstances can I give in to his demands. The filial feelings that you have for Tom as his brothers and sister, put you in a different position. I have promised to love him and honour him as my spouse. I have born his children. I love him very much.

However, yesterday he proved to me that he was not worthy of that love. He needs to make the effort to change even if it means him working to rebuild the houses with his own hands. His change of status is seemingly cruel, but neither the children nor myself will be affected by it. Yes, I agree with you all. Let us go ahead with our plans.'

Sidney released the breath that he was holding. He was immeasurably relieved. 'Phew! Thank you all for agreeing. Mary, what time is it?'

Mary looked at her watch and responded, 'Just after one thirty in the afternoon, Sidney. Why?'

Sidney grinned widely at his sister-in-law, 'Because, my dearest Mary, we have concluded with all possible business for the day. And it is also because I am to spend the afternoon with my Charlotte- a pack of wild horses would not keep me away from her today. Will you all join me back to Trafalgar House?'

Arthur laughed aloud at that statement, 'No wonder you are grinning like a Cheshire cat, brother! Let us go then! I am in the mood of going to the beach with my nephew and nieces. Diana and Mary, what do you think? Shall we take our favourite rugrats for a healthy and energetic stroll?'

Both Diana and Mary nodded their head emphatically. Mary responded, 'That is a splendid idea, Arthur! Tom might even join us, who knows!' With that comment they made their way to the house with a light heart.

Chapter 48- Tom Parker and his demons

Whilst the bulk of the Parker family were working on their plans for the future in Sidney's hotel room, the remaining members of that family were still at Trafalgar House. The children were being happily entertained by their nanny and their father was sulking in his room still in his nightdress.

Tom woke up on Thursday morning feeling extremely tired and in irritable mood as he had still not recovered from yesterday's horrendous evening and night. He had the foreboding feeling that he would have a horrible time just after he wet himself from fear and ran to his room. He had not been wrong.

The servants have indeed been told of his humiliation- his valet who helped him ready for bed with the most indecent smirk on his face. The same thing happened with the maid who brought his breakfast this morning. She was brash and nearly laughed at him. Tom knew without a shadow of a doubt that he had permanently lost the respect of his staff. Dare he go out and find out how much of the respect of the residents of Sanditon he had lost? He was not brave enough for that yet. Perhaps another day! He had some thinking to do!

His rotten mood was not only due to yesterday evening's argument with Sidney, but also due to his lack of quality sleep due to some nightmares. He dreamt that he was falling from the Sanditon cliffs straight into the black endless abyss of hell with the devil greeting him at the gates. There was no-one around to stall his fall- no-one to save him. The abyss went on and on. He saw glimpses of his life from when he was little until today- things that have already happened, things that could not be changed.

Tom remembered dreaming of his parents. The Parker matriarch and patriarch were both good people.

On the one hand, his father was a wise man who cared about his family in a rather superficial way providing they all acted as he wished them to do so. He was a successful and shrewd business man and worked really hard in ensuring the prosperity of the family estate.

On the other hand, the Parker matriarch was a carefree lady who passionately loved her family despite all their faults. She encouraged people to develop their interests and thrive. Yet, despite this encouragement, she had no real care of how her actions affected the people around her. She was impulsive and she had fads that did not last long.

Tom's first unpleasant memory of his father was when he stopped him from playing with the village children giving him the reason that he was above them in rank. Mr Parker Senior valued his social position and he wanted to instil that principle onto his eldest son, his heir. He did not care a fig about Tom's sensitive and gregarious nature, his wish to always make his father proud. He wanted his son to be strong and a credit to him.

Tom was a child who loved making new friends and being the centre of attention. In fact, he constantly craved it as his own father was constantly working and not paying enough attention to him. His charming mother indulged her first born shamelessly and with no restraint- she let him express himself as he wished until his father stopped his overtures of impulsiveness. When his father insisted that he stop playing with the village children, Tom felt very lonely indeed until Sidney was born.

Even when he did have a brother to play with, he was forever jealous of him. Sidney stole their parents' already scant attention from Tom. He remembered getting his new brother in all sorts of trouble just to see him punished. Yet, he never was. He was their youngest child, the apple of their eye and both parents were besotted with him.

Young smiling Sidney with those charming dimples could have gotten away with murder if he chose- not that he ever did of course. This made Tom resent his brother even more. A resentment that was still dormant even today and amply demonstrated to all when Sidney was playing with the children. Young Sidney could play, but Tom had to study and be a young gentleman instead. Older Sidney could play, but Tom did not know how which made him feel inadequate and weak.

He also saw his father telling him how it was his duty as the eldest child to both cater and protect the family, how he could not be frivolous and live an easy-going life. He had to succeed no matter what. He would be under the shackles of duty throughout his life. Then the blow fell when his parents died and it really dawned to Tom that he would never be free again. Tom had to take care of the Parker family completely unprepared for that large fortune not ever being comfortable with financial matters himself. He had had no training and no help until he met his Mary.

Then a vision of young Tom came to his dreaming mind. Young Tom loved being creative- one of the village children taught him to carve figurines in wood and he got really good at it. He made two figurines for his parents- A general for his father and a princess for his mother. His mother praised him to the heavens and encouraged him to continue his hobby, but his father discouraged him loudly and demonstrated his strong disapproval of the said hobby by burning both figurines in the fire. His father told him in no uncertain terms to stop this carving nonsense at once. That was the very last time that Tom gave any presents to their parents.

Tom reckoned that was why he had been so taken with Sanditon- it was a creative challenge and a project. Something he could create! He felt truly alive when a new idea, no matter how unrealistic, came to his mind!

Tom could see himself pestering Sidney to get more investors and more money for the Sanditon project. He could still feel the gratification of his resentment and frustration seeing Sidney struggle and nearly lose his temper. He felt victorious. He still did every time he got his brother to lose control of his emotions. It was cruel, yet he could not help himself.

Tom could still feel the satisfaction of being his brother's saviour before Antigua. He was intoxicated by the feeling that his no-can-do-wrong brother as per their father fell off the wagon after Eliza's refusal to marry him. He did not even truly feel sorry for him when Sidney sacrificed himself for the family and Charlotte collapsed. What had caused Tom's shock was Charlotte being unwell as he truly cared for the young lady. He was surprised that Sidney had confronted him, but in the long run the effect of his brother's distress was not enduring enough.

Then his dream turned to his sister. She was a fastidious busybody in his eyes and Tom never paid much attention to her. The same went for Arthur- good humoured Arthur! Tom never listened to his youngest brother! Arthur talked nonsense half the time anyway!

He saw Mary in his dream. He loved his Mary! She was his, yet she was leaving him in his dream. She was walking out with the children and never coming back! His dream concluded with the devil throwing open the gates of hell where it was hot and uncomfortable. Where there was no Mary or his children and no comfort!

That uncomfortable feeling made Tom nearly scream out in terror and wake up from a truly restless sleep with beads of sweat beading his forehead and completely damp sleeping shirt. He was awake at five in the morning instead of his normal seven wake-up time. He could not settle no matter what he did- he tossed and turned continuously. He eventually gave up the fight of trying to fall asleep and stared at the ceiling until sunrise awaiting for the arrival of his breakfast and trying to soothe his troubled mind.

Tom could hear the inhabitants of the house waking up for the day. The house seemed to be uncommonly busy today. In fact, it felt as busy as Picadilly Square in London. He had no desire to join his guests, so he just listened to the hub of activity. It distracted him from his unpleasant thoughts just like the soothing sounds of the waves breaking on the beach.

He put his thinking cap on. He had to make amends to his wife- he promised himself to find her later on today and perhaps spend some time with her and the children. He had hurt her badly yesterday. He was an insensitive so-and-so when he chose to be. Yet, it was not because he did not love his wife.

He begrudgingly thought as well that the same applied for his brothers and sister. He could be jealous and resentful all he liked, but ultimately the sense of love and familial bond between the siblings had always been strong. They had always been a tightly-knit family unit- a principle that was encouraged by their parents.

It was just that he, Tom Parker, had inherited their father's deficiency of not being able to express his love and care for others as he wished. In that respect he was envious of Charlotte and her open, affectionate heart. She had that gift in abundance- dear Charlotte. She was a godsend! He would be forever sorry for causing her any type of pain. Tom was very content that she was awake and that she was recovering nicely. She deserved no less. Her mother and sister were delightful guests as well!

He could actually hear the excited chatter of Lady Susan, Mrs Heywood, Alison, Georgiana and the children, who were sitting in the sitting room with Charlotte. The happy talks reverberated the walls of the house putting him in a better mood.

He started making his plans for his day. He was a flawed man. He may not be able to change many things about his truly faulty character. He would do one thing for himself today though. He would reconcile with his wife if that was the last thing he did. He would beg her forgiveness on his knees!

Tom felt better after that decision and finally managed to have a restorative two-hour nap which took him up until lunch. He vowed to look for Mary and his children then.

Chapter 49- Queen of Sheba

In the meantime, Charlotte was still weak and she knew that she needed to build her strength up slowly. Yet, she refused to stay in bed for the whole day- she told her doctor so without delay. Mr Levinson had paid her a brief visit first thing in the morning and declared fit to get out of bed and to take small walks every day. The good doctor found his patient to be a charming but an extremely stubborn young lady. He chuckled to himself when he remembered her indignant facial expression when she expressed the opinion that she had already slept enough!

Thus, Mrs Heywood helped her daughter dress and walk the few steps from her bedroom to the sitting room where Charlotte found Lady Susan, Allie, Georgiana and three exuberant children waiting for her. The excitement was such that it radiated from the room's walls. She received a warm and enthusiastic hug from everyone. She was given the most comfortable chair in the room with cushions for her back, a warm blanket to cover her legs and a warm cup of team to warm her up further. She felt like the Queen of Sheba receiving her guests in her throne room!

On the one hand, the children were sitting around her telling her of all their adventures and how they have missed her. Alicia and Jenny tugged at each of her arms – one child on each side- and Henry on her lap. The children would not let her go fearing that she may disappear and leave them again. It took some time to convince the three angels that she was not going anywhere and to get them to bring their favourite games from the nursery in the sitting room in order for them to play with her.

On the other hand, the adults sat around her teary eyed with happiness seeing her out of the bedroom and well again. They could not believe their eyes! It felt as if the world's natural balance has been restored! Once the children settled and started playing in one corner of the room near the adults, Charlotte was given the low-down on what has been happening in the world of Sanditon.

They had hardly finished telling her all the news, when the bell rang and Mr Stringer was ushered in the room carrying a huge bouquet of wild flowers and a necklace of seashells. Charlotte was delighted to see him- she had missed her friend! He explained that he was here on behalf of the people of Sanditon, who have just been told this morning of Charlotte's recovery. He also presented the flowers to a wide-eyed Charlotte who could not for the life of her understand how she could be so lucky to be amongst such wonderful people. Betsy took the bouquet and the shell necklace from her young mistress to take it to her bedroom.

Charlotte thanked him in her most graceful manner for this gesture and asked him whether he would join them. Mr Springer was more than happy to accept as he was to have the pleasure of both Alison and Charlotte's company. That was a pleasure indeed! He started telling Charlotte his news whilst sending discreet glances at Alison. He really did think that he was being discreet, but everyone in the room could clearly see where his heart lay. Alison was no better. She kept looking at his way as well- a sign that did not escape her older sister who smiled at the thought of Alison and Mr Stringer ending up together.

Chapter 50- A walk to the beach

This merry company was interrupted with the arrival of Mary, Sidney, Arthur and Diana. You would think that the room was already full of tension from the secret flirtation between Alison and Mr Stringer. The moment Sidney walked in the room, the tension in the room increased tenfold. Charlotte, who was currently helping Jenny with her doll's dress, looked up at him, went bright red and gave him the most beautiful smile. Sidney's smile was as wide just by looking at his love. The moment only lasted a moment, but it was enough for the two sweethearts to silently greet each other and still stay within the social conventions.

It was also at that moment that Tom decided to join the group having just woken up from his nap. The warm and cosy atmosphere immediately changed and the people in the room felt it instinctively. Charlotte did wonder why all the tension and made a mental note to speak to Sidney about it.

Arthur, ever the peacemaker, suggested a walk to the beach to break the tension. The children jumped from their excitement and immediately went to their parents demanding their attention. It was an invitation that neither Tom or Mary could decline despite their current awkward relationship. Tom thanked his children silently from the bottom of his heart for giving him the chance to patch things up with his wife.

Thus, the ladies donned their outerwear, bonnets, parasols and the gentlemen their hats. The whole group consisted of the Heywoods- the mother and the two daughters, Lady Susan, Georgiana, Mr Stringer, Sidney, Mary, Tom, Arthur and Diana. Sidney, however, was aware that it was Charlotte's first outing after a long time and asked the driver to meet them at the main cove in an hour's time to take them back to Trafalgar House.

The groups fell in naturally together. Georgiana, Alison and Mr Stringer walked ahead, then came Lady Susan with Mrs Heywood who were acting as chaperons to Georgiana and Alison. The three young people were continuing their previous discussion on the architecture and they were totally absorbed in it. The two ladies were only discussing commonplace topics, but their eyes communicated to each other that another couple, Alison and Mr Stringer, were not far from getting together. Perhaps with the right nudge, who knows what might happen!

Right behind the two ladies, Sidney was walking with Charlotte making sure that the pace was not too fast for her. Both of them relished each other's company. Charlotte was taking her first steps after being in bed for so long and she felt very happy indeed. She had missed her walks. It was an extra treat to have Sidney next to her- the thought made her smile even more than normal and she could not resist by smiling lovingly at him. Sidney was in heaven. He relished having Charlotte's arm resting lightly and trustingly on his. He enjoyed having her next to him well and happy!

Arthur and Diana entertained their nephew and nieces being fully aware that Tom and Mary had to talk to each other. They were playing some sort of hide and seek game that the children found hilarious and Arthur loved playing with them. It was a special game they played with their aunt and uncle when they were out and about.

The happy voices of the Parker children made everyone in their walking group smile apart from their parents. They walked next to each other. Mary did not lean on Tom and she did not offer him her arm. Tom did not dare ask it of her. He was not worthy of his wife at this present moment in time. He would have to work extra hard to get back into her good graces.

An uncomfortable silence engulfed them both- Tom steeled himself to break it. 'Mary, I am sure that I am the last person that you wish to speak to at present. Could we talk? Would you let me explain?'

Mary looked at his face, that was full of anguish- she could not tell whether it was real or false though. She was still angry with him- very angry indeed. She was not in a very forgiving mood at present and she also needed to wait until after Saturday's family meeting before discussing anything with him. Now that freedom was so close, she would be a fool to put it a risk by revealing too much too early.

'Tom, you have hurt me deeply. I do not feel ready to discuss our relationship with you until I know how I feel about both yourself and our marriage. Things need to change. You need to change if you wish for our marriage to survive. You need to decide where you heart lies as well as your priorities in life. I refuse to come second anymore.

Anyway, having this discussion in public will not help either of us and causing a scandal would not be beneficial for our family. There has already been enough scandal to last us for a while. As the bible says there is a time to be silent and a time to speak. Now it is definitely not the time to speak. Soon but not now. Now is the time to reflect on our choices and what we want to do with our life. Do you understand what I am trying to tell you?'

Tom nodded sadly and exclaimed, 'Yes, Mary, I do. I will wait until you are ready to speak to me. I do want to say, though, that I love both you and our children dearly. Please consider that whilst you are making your decision.'

Mary responded in a flat voice struggling to keep any emotion from showing, 'Yes, Tom, I will keep that in mind whilst I am making my decision.'

Most of the people in the group enjoyed their conversations and they were not interrupted often. However, there was an exception. The street was a busy one, but not excessively so. Yet, the moment the people of Sanditon saw Charlotte, nearly every person came to greet her and wish her well.

Charlotte felt like the belle of the ball being the centre of attention of a whole town. She thanked them all heartily for their presents and their care. Sidney was so proud of her. He was thinking to himself that her inner modesty would never make her realise just how much of a special person she was. The people around her saw this. He was a very lucky man to have won her heart and he vowed to keep it safe from hurt. He was not out of the woods yet. They still had to talk properly. There would be time enough for that!

Sidney was not the only one who was fiercely proud of Charlotte. The rest of their group, yes even despondent Tom, considered themselves very lucky to be in her company and that she cared for all of them so much. It felt like a very precious gift that one did not want to give away!

100


	2. Blanket discussions

After all the greetings, the group finally reached the cove where they all sat down on blankets that the gentlemen were carrying. Charlotte was especially grateful to sit down as her legs were tired by the time they reached the cove. She did not want to show her weakness, but both her mother and Sidney noticed her flagging steps and insisted that she sit down for a little while. She did not have enough strength to resist their demands so she complied sheepishly.

Sidney and Georgiana sat next to her along with Mrs Heywood and Lady Susan. The rest of the group was playing 'tag' with the children. The participants of the game were the three children, Mr Stringer, Alison, Tom, Mary, Diana and Arthur. It was a most amusing sight to see all of them running around laughing heartily.

However, all that adult attention was not enough for young Henry. He made it known in the strongest possible terms that he needed his uncle Sidney's and Georgiana's additional moral support. Therefore, he came to get them to play as well. Sidney refused at first as he wanted to keep Charlotte company, but Henry's mock pouting face was too much for the doting uncle that he was. Georgiana mercilessly teased her guardian on what a softie he was and she got up with him to join the game with alacrity.

Charlotte sighed happily at the sight of her carefree sweetheart running around as if he did not have a care in the world. He really was like a young boy when he was like this- she wondered whether their children would inherit his abundant energy and charm. She wished he would always be so! Her pleasant thoughts of Sidney were interrupted by Lady Susan's question, 'How are you feeling, Charlotte?'

She looked at her friend, gave her a radiant smile and exclaimed happily, 'I am a bit tired from the walk, but exceedingly happy to be out with all of you. I have missed the sound of the sea and the chance to breathe the sea breeze. Staying cooped up in a room for a long time makes me a very difficult patient. Mama, is that not so?'

Mrs Heywood winked at her daughter and responded to Lady Susan, 'Yes, she can be the most difficult patient in the world if she does not get out of the sick room. It was a good thing that she was never really ill when she was younger! Otherwise, we would have had a million tantrums if she did not get her way!'

Lady Susan laughed aloud at that comment, 'I do not blame you there at all- I am no different- I abhor being unwell. Being confined at home can be restricting especially if you prefer being outdoors. Yet, having Mr Sidney Parker around makes that bearable, does it not?'

Charlotte cheeks went as red as a beetroot, 'Susan... Well... yes, it does help. It made me want to get better sooner. I had lost hope before he came back and mama read me his letter. Talking about the letter, mama, where is it?'

Mrs Heywood took it out of her pelisse and passed it on to her daughter without saying a word. She expected Charlotte would want to read it herself once the initial tiredness went away. Charlotte took it from her mother's hand and started reading it. Both her mother and Lady Susan talked to each other in order to give her the space to absorb its contents with her own eyes instead of just being read the letter aloud by someone else. They both felt that Charlotte reading that fateful letter would open new possibilities for a very promising future!

Charlotte was in her own private world whilst she was reading Sidney's letter. She did not remember any specific words from when her mother read it to her- she only remembered the overwhelming feeling of wanting to strive to wake up from her long slumber. Now that she was actually reading the words for herself, she felt both incredibly happy and sad. She was happy that he took the time to tell her of his innermost feelings and sad that he was upset begging her to wake up. The last thing she ever wanted was to give him pain!

She knew he loved her and that she loved him. That was as certain as the fact that the sun is to rise in the morning and set at night. Neither she or Sidney doubted their love for each other. It was a living breathing being between them almost up to a spiritual level. Each of them could feel each other's presence before one of them even entered the room. It was an uncanny and unbreakable connection.

Yet, they still needed to talk- they needed to clear the air between them. She needed to tell him what made her go into the coma. He had guessed most of her feelings and thoughts- they were in black and white in his letter. Yet she needed to communicate hers. He needed to share his pain and not keep it inside him.

She was sniffling and happy tears were running down her cheeks as she finished reading the letter. This did not go unnoticed by her attendants. Both Mrs Heywood and Lady Susan had the constant fear of her relapsing at the back of their mind so they fussed over her until she was back to her normal self.

'I am sorry, mama and Susan, I did not mean to cry and worry you. It is just such a beautiful letter and my first love letter from him- who knew he could write so well! My very own Lord Byron! This letter made me wake up- it gave me the will to live again. Yet, I do not quite believe that Sidney claims to love me that much. It does not seem real in many ways. There are so many more deserving ladies he could love.' Charlotte exclaimed in a slightly watery voice.

Lady Susan exclaimed in surprise, 'Claims to love you? Charlotte, the man worships the ground you walk on. He absolutely adores you! He was frantic with worry when you were in the coma. I can vouch that the messenger service between London and Sanditon was thriving when he was in London. We heard from him nearly every day.

As for your doubts about being a deserving lady for Mr Parker's love, you need not worry. You are by far more deserving than all the of the most beautiful ladies in the Ton due to your kind heart, my dear Charlotte.

Of course, this does not make your sweetheart a saint- nobody is perfect. He is your match in every way, though, Charlotte. A discussion where you would iron out any misunderstandings between you is long overdue. There is, however, no doubt that he loves you. Wouldn't you agree, Mrs Heywood?'

Mrs Heywood said excitedly, 'He is besotted with you, my child! He would give you the moon and the stars if only you asked it of him. I am prodigiously proud of him as my potential son-in-law. He will take good care of you and you will want for nothing. He is a very proactive person which also bodes very well for your future. He will treat you like a queen and any children you may have like the princes and princesses they would be! I have written to your papa about him, you know. I am expecting a response from him very soon.

Mr Parker has already told you that he wishes to court you and eventually marry you. Just giving you that beautiful locket screams his care for you to the world. It was most thoughtful of him. He was honest with me as well concerning his intentions towards you- he is truly not being insincere or trying to give you the wrong impression. The moment you are ready to accept him, then there is every chance that your papa will be amenable to the idea.

In fact, I was hoping to convince your papa and siblings to come to Sanditon for the day. How do you like the idea?'

Charlotte beamed at that statement, 'Will papa like Sidney, mama? What do you think? I hope he will. Sidney and papa will get on like a house on fire. I think the idea of a papa and my siblings coming here is a great one.'

Mrs Heywood responded earnestly, 'Eventually he will. Your Mr Parker is a good and loving soul- your papa is bound to see that. Yet, do expect your papa to give him a little bit of a hard time to start with just to satisfy his own whims. Your sweetheart can take it nicely- it will not be a hardship for him! Your papa coming down to Sanditon would simply mean that the grilling would happen sooner than later.'

Charlotte sighed at that, 'Yes, I know what papa will do. I have no doubt that Sidney will get a full-on grilling and come out of that conversation completely terrified. I do not wish it for him but as you said mama, papa needs to satisfy his whims on the matter. On another note, did you notice that Alison and Mr Stringer are getting quite cosy together? They cannot take their eyes off each other!'

Lady Susan laughed wholeheartedly at that and Mrs Heywood nodded her head in agreement, 'That is well noticed, Charlotte. It seems to be the case, doesn't it? Mr Stringer is a good and hard-working man. Your sister could do much worse. He is a talented budding architect as well, who with the right training and connections, should do well for himself. I will be recommending him to the Regent's favourite architect, Mr Thomas Nash, in the hopes of some extra training for this young man.'

Charlotte gushed at her friend, 'Oh, Susan, you are so good to us! I can think of no-one more deserving for some further career development- he has been through so much after his father's death. His sketches- at least the ones that I have already seen- are so well done! Ask him to show you some of them. You will really be impressed with his drawing skills and attention to detail.'

Lady Susan thought for a moment, 'I might just do that and send some of them to the Regent. You never know what might come out of it.' The ladies continued their pleasant discussion whilst both the children and the adults continued their energetic game.


	3. Business Arrangements

The 'tag' game participants played for a solid half hour before all of them, including the children, collapsed exhausted on the sandy beach to catch their breath.

It happened that both Sidney and Mr Stringer ended up sitting next to each other. Sidney looked at the young man and said, 'Well, Mr Stringer, you are certainly a very good tag player. You have outrun us all. Well done!'

Mr Stringer looked up at his employer and grinned, 'Thank you Mr Parker. You are not too bad a tag player yourself. How are you finding being back in Sanditon?'

Sidney responded, 'I am very happy to be here, Mr Stringer. I prefer the quiet life near the seaside versus the madness of London. Being in London is good for a short time, but it does get too much after a while. Anyway, I have already finished all the things that could be accomplished there which means that I do have to go back in that mad place for a good while. By the way, I never had the chance to personally thank you for sorting out the workers for the rebuilding of the apartments. Thank you for getting that done so promptly.'

Mr Stringer looked really pleased with this praise, 'Thank you sir. It was a pleasure to do so. The workers were delighted to be back at work and they asked me to pass on their thanks and their good wishes to you. You see, sir, their families were going through a rough financial patch after the fire. Therefore, your offer of employment was received like an early Christmas present! It has certainly relieved many worried families who wondered where the next meal would come from.'

Sidney commented, 'Glad to hear that it has worked out so well. Which reminds me that we need to get their salaries paid. Would Sunday afternoon suit them to come and pick up their wages? I could meet them with you at your house and give them their salary for the week then.'

Mr Stringer nodded delightedly, 'Yes, Mr Parker. That would do admirably. I will ask them to meet us both at my house on Sunday afternoon.'

Sidney nodded at that and continued, 'We also need to speak about another issue on Sunday and that does need to be communicated to the workers before Monday morning. I will tell you more details about it when we meet, but please be informed that my brother Tom will help you rebuild the apartments. He does not know yet- he will be informed of this on Saturday morning.

Shall we meet at your house at one in the afternoon and then have the workers meet us there at three in the afternoon? This will give us time to discuss things and me to have a look at the architectural designs for the new apartments.'

Mr Stringer looked at his employer and then at the sight of Mr Tom Parker talking animatedly to his children without a care in the world a few steps away. He blinked, looked back at Sidney as if he had two heads and whispered, 'Mr Tom Parker, sir, joining us? Are you sure?'

Sidney found Mr Stringer's surprise fully justified. He explained, 'I cannot say more here, but, yes, I am very sure. I promise that everything will be explained to you on Sunday. Shall we go to the ladies who are sitting down at the rug? I believe the phaeton is to come to pick us up shortly and the children seem to be tired.'

Mr Stringer understood from the short explanation and the change of topic that he would not get any further information from his employer today. It is only until Sunday- he could wait. Aloud he said, 'Yes, that sounds like a good idea.'

Both of them stood up, helped Diana, Mary and Alison to their feet whilst Tom and Arthur did the same for the children. Then the whole group started walking towards the place where Lady Susan, Mrs Heywood and Charlotte were sitting.


	4. A ride on the phaeton

Sidney and Mr Stringer's discussion did not go unnoticed by the rest of the group sitting on the sand. Most of them, Alison, Georgiana and Tom, took it for what it was. An expected conversation between two acquaintances about the tag game and London, where Sidney had just returned from. They did not think that anything extraordinary had been communicated throughout it.

However, the people who were in the know, namely Diana, Arthur and Mary, sighed with relief and knew exactly what the message was that Sidney had conveyed to young Mr Stringer. They knew by the momentary surprise that showed on his face. They had to be careful, though, not to show that they knew. Thus, with a bit of an effort from their end, none of the rest of the party was none the wiser on their actual thoughts on that matter.

No sooner had those thoughts crossed Diana, Arthur and Mary's mind, that they found themselves where Charlotte was sitting with her companions. Sidney parked himself next to her with an exaggerated huff of tiredness in such a theatrical way that it made Charlotte roll her eyes at him playfully and the children giggle loudly.

The rest of the adults unfolded the rest of the blankets and sat down as well. Mary sat on the same blanket as her children and Arthur, Tom sat next to Diana, Georgiana, Alison and Mr Stringer. The sitting arrangements reflected each person's thoughts at the time.

On the one hand, Sidney was happy to be sitting down next to his Charlotte again. She had the uncanny ability to breathe new life into his soul just by smiling at him just as she did now and that left him breathless. Playing tag also reminded him of the old times when all the Parker siblings played together- he missed those times. It did not happen often. Yet, his younger self appreciated those happy times when they did happen as those carefree games ceased completely once their father died.

On the other hand, happy thoughts did not occupy the minds of the occupants sitting on the other blankets. It was more of an awkwardness than anything else.

Mary and Tom were playing a game of cat and mouse. Each of them used their children as a buffer in order to avoid speaking to each other. Tom did this during the tag game whilst Mary was doing the same just now. Tom instead pretended to be interested in the conversation between the ladies and he occasionally spoke to an equally subdued Mr Stringer whilst furiously thinking of ways of wooing his wife back.

Mr Stringer, poor man, was lost between the exquisite feeling of having Alison near him without being able to speak to her as he wished and the increased awkwardness that he felt near Mr Tom Parker knowing what he knew.

Arthur, Georgiana and Diana were inwardly very amused on the dynamics of their group. They exchanged amused looks on the palpable happiness and contentment surrounding Charlotte and Sidney. It was as if they had created their own bubble of happiness and it was utterly endearing. They were very happy for both of them.

What really amused those three was how hard Mr Stringer was trying not to be inappropriate around Miss Alison and she with him. They exchanged secret looks hoping that none of the group noticed. It was a hopeless wish as everybody, apart from Tom, had noticed their futile attempts in concealing their feelings. There was also the game that Tom and Mary were playing with each other. They all three silently communicated to each other that this was definitely the most fun that they have had for a while.

The group had not sat for five minutes or so until the phaeton arrived. It would seat four people and the rest of them would need to walk back. Charlotte was surprised at the sight of it and addressed Sidney, 'How come the driver is here with the phaeton, Sidney?'

He looked up at her indulgently with a wide smile on his face, he picked up, kissed her hand softly and responded, 'Why it is for you, queen of my heart. You have already walked enough for today- it has been your first walk since your illness. You looked very tired when we arrived here on foot and I thought you might appreciate having the phaeton to take you back to Trafalgar House. If you like I could join you and we could take the children with us on it. What do you think?'

Charlotte smiled at him lovingly and whispered to him, 'I think that you, Sidney Parker, are the most thoughtful and caring man that I have ever met and that I love you more than words could express. I would like to accept that offer for a ride on the phaeton with you and the children.'

Sidney thought his heart would burst in its seams at her words- how could he get so lucky he would never know. He so wished he could kiss her right now! He would need to act upon that urge at the first given opportunity. He could only nod at her response as his ability for speech had temporarily escaped him. He promptly got up and helped Charlotte to her feet. Mrs Heywood and Lady Susan who were privy to Charlotte and Sidney's tender interaction got up promptly as well.

Sidney went to where the children were sitting with Mary and Arthur and asked them, 'How would you like a ride in the phaeton with Charlotte and me, children?' The children's response was enthusiastic- they started running towards the vehicle in all possible haste. Mary smiled at her brother-in-law whilst Tom glared at him for stealing his thunder with his own children no less. Sidney felt Tom's gaze, but ignored him not wanting to upset Mary further. He did make a mental note though to finally find out the root of Tom's infernal resentment on Saturday morning. The rest of the group got up and said that they would be happy to walk up at a more leisurely pace.

Charlotte and the children were bundled up on the phaeton. Charlotte sat with Jenny and Alicia on one side and Sidney with Henry on the other side. The children were beyond excited as they loved carriage rides of any sort. They were constantly pointing out something or other and claiming either Charlotte's or Sidney's attention depending who was the nearest one to them. Thus, the ride to Trafalgar House was a very pleasant and well-chaperoned one as neither Sidney nor Charlotte could do anything inappropriate in public. However, the promise of a bit of inappropriateness when they got back to the house and the children were under the care of their nurse, was evident in the silent heated looks that they exchanged.


	5. Courtship request

In the meantime, the rest of the group watched the phaeton move away and started making their way to their respective residences until dinner. Arthur and Diana escorted Georgiana to Miss Griffiths's house, Mrs Heywood, Alison and Lady Susan made their way to the hotel, Mr Springer to his house and finally Tom and Mary to Trafalgar House.

This division of the party left Tom and Mary by themselves again. Both of them were unwilling to speak to each other. Mary was playing with the fabric of her dress and looking anywhere but her husband. Tom was fiddling with his cravat suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

Their walk continued in silence until finally Tom realised that his wife was really not willing to initiate any topic of conversation with him. They were only a few steps away from their house when he touched her arm slightly to stop her walking away.

Mary had to make herself look at her husband. She expected him to say something to her- yet he said nothing. She sighed loudly and started making her way to the door. Only then did Tom blurt out 'Mary, may I court you again? Let me prove myself to you!'

That was the last thing that she expected him to say but she rejoiced inwardly when she heard him utter the words. She was overwhelmed by the request- she could only blush and nod silently at her husband. Tom's smile at her response warmed her heart. Nothing else was said between them as they walked into their house with a flutter of hope in their hearts.


	6. Sidney and Charlotte talk

Whilst Tom was in the progress of summoning the courage to ask for Mary for a chance to court her, Sidney, Charlotte and the children had already been at Trafalgar House for at least forty minutes. As predicted the over-excited children's adrenaline started dwindling by the time they got them home. Therefore, the sight of their nurse and the thought of taking a nap before their dinner was very welcome to the tired youngsters. It was of course a good thing for the remaining adults in the house as well, but for an entirely different reason.

The tension between Sidney and Charlotte was bad enough in the carriage. Sidney could honestly say that if the children had not been in the phaeton with them at the time, he would have kissed Charlotte senseless not caring a fig about who was watching. He could see from the way she was looking at him that her thoughts were drifting towards that direction as well. Alas they were both too socially conscious and proper to act upon the impulse in public.

However, the moment the nurse took the children away, their impatience reached newer heights. Sidney did not utter a word- he looked about him for the presence of any servants. He then took Charlotte's hand and guided her to Tom's study where he knew they could lock the door and not be interrupted for a while. Charlotte knew exactly what he was about. She knew it was not proper but she decided to momentarily flaunt the rules of propriety on this occasion only. She needed some time alone with him.

The moment the door was locked, he claimed her mouth with an urgency that he had never felt so strongly before. Perhaps it was her earnest declaration of love at the beach or even just wanting to show her how grateful he was that she loved him as much as she did. He felt that simply telling her was not enough to show the depth of his love and affection for her. He felt that he had to actually show her with actions.

Therefore, he kissed her deeply and for a long time, their tongues duelling for the ultimate victory giving neither of them any respite. Sidney pulled Charlotte as close to him as humanly possible to feel her warmth. Charlotte moulded her soft body perfectly to his and delighted in being kissed and having the chance to play with the soft hair at the back of his neck. Sidney felt her hands on his hair and that made him moan loudly. His vigour in kissing her grew anew until he felt her moaning slightly as well.

Their passion grew exponentially. Without knowing who initiated it, they ended up on the settee with Sidney on top of her for a make out session that none of them had previously planned for. He was in heaven. Even touching his Charlotte's body through her clothes was so alluring. She had the most beautiful body! He touched her everywhere whilst continuing to kiss her. He caressed her perfect neck, her breasts, her beautiful curves and round bottom. She was his Aphrodite and there was no other woman for him.

Charlotte was feeling a million things at the time with Sidney touching her all over her body. His kisses were addictive and she could not get enough of them. She was feeling hot all over and a warmth was going through her body in places that she could not imagine that it would. She moaned appreciatively when Sidney massaged her breasts until she felt their peaks stiffen. She ached to touch his skin and wondered whether it would be as soft as she imagined it to be. She satisfied herself by caressing his clothed upper torso, which made him moan louder and increase the speed of his kisses.

Sidney knew that their impromptu make-out session was starting to affect him and that they needed to stop. Easier said than done! She was so very tempting! He reluctantly toned his kisses down, whispering endearments in her ear, telling her how much he loved her until they both needed to breathe. Charlotte did not honestly want him to stop. However, she knew why he did. Hearing him telling her of his feelings for her and that he loved her went a long way in fixing some of the remaining part of her broken heart. It was like balsam to an open wound.

In truth, this romantic and steamy interlude between Sidney and Charlotte only lasted fifteen minutes or so even though it felt much longer to both of them. They came out of it breathless and spent a little while hugging each other tenderly whilst their breaths started normalising again. Once their breathing normalised, he gave her a large goofy grin and helped her up from the settee. He went on to sorting out his rumpled clothing whilst she fixed her hair and straightened up her dress. Their little passionate tryst on the settee was luckily not noticed by any of the members of staff in the household. This was a relief to both of them.

On the one hand, Sidney wished that she would consent for a courtship sooner than later so that there would be no more hiding. He could enjoy her company and heavenly charms without being chastised by society's propriety rules. He had to ask her soon.

On the other hand, Charlotte was flushed and confused in her thoughts. She did not doubt their mutual love and affection. That was a given. However, they needed to talk. The elephant in the room needed to be addressed before she could fully trust and forgive him.

When they both felt that they have recovered the equanimity and their respectable looks, Sidney unlocked and opened the door. He then sat down on the settee and sat her down on his lap embracing her gently.

Embracing her gave him the chance to breathe in her lavender and vanilla scent, a scent that he has always associated with her, and play with her soft curls whilst the embrace allowed Charlotte to reacquaint herself with his unique Sidney smell- a mixture of sandalwood and the sea breeze. They were both silent simply enjoying being in each other's embrace.

Charlotte broke the comfortable silence between them by asking 'Sidney, a penny for your thoughts.'

He smiled and simply touched the locket that was hanging from her neck. He was inordinately pleased that she was wearing it. He kissed it and then looked at her beautiful brown eyes with his best pleading puppy-dog look and responded, 'I am just thinking how lucky I was to find you and how lucky I am that you love me. It just feels like a dream that will be snatched from me at a moment's notice. I am a flawed, foolish man, my darling, and I don't always feel that I deserve this beautiful love of yours for me. I have certainly done nothing else but hurt you so far- dear god- I nearly lost you because of my foolishness. Should that have happened, I would have never forgiven myself. Yet, despite everything, I hope you will give me the chance to prove my love for you and earn your trust. Would you allow me to court you properly? For us to get to know each other better?'

She took a moment to take in his words. Sidney could see her usual cute frown when she was thinking about her next course of action. He found it so alluring and wanted to kiss it off her face. She really had no idea how adorable she looked when she was thinking.

Yet, he knew the gravity of his question though so he did his best to resist that delicious temptation. He would shower her with kisses providing she accepted him. He was not willing to take anything for granted- not when it came to his relationship with Charlotte. He vowed to himself when she became unwell that he would never cause her another day of pain if he could truly help it.

He could see all her feelings in her eyes. He could not tell what they were so he kept his peace until she spoke. She looked up at him at a loss for words. He could see that she was trying to communicate something to him- he waited patiently still keeping her in his embrace. He thought to himself that it was a good thing that she did not wish to move from it.

Charlotte sighed and a million thoughts were passing through her mind at the same time. She was not surprised at Sidney's request. She knew he would ask. Yet, now that the time was here, she truly did not know what to say to him. She could not avoid the inevitable any more. She had to speak to him properly. She only knew that she did not wish to upset him.

She gave him a soft kiss on the lips and traced his face lovingly with her hands taking in his beloved features. 'Before I respond to your question, we need to talk.' The change of his features from happiness to panic pushed her to continue her speech 'no, Sidney, I am not leaving you- I could not do that even if wanted to do so.' She saw his panic subside and spoke further 'I read the letter that you gave mama. She gave it to me earlier today when you were playing tag with the children.'

Sidney had to speak then despite his nervousness, 'What...did you think of it?' Charlotte smiled at him when she responded, 'I thought it was the most beautiful love letter! It felt even more precious as it was your first one to me. You expressed your feelings very clearly in there. I am eternally grateful to you for doing so as nothing else but that letter or your presence would have taken me away from the mist in my coma.'

He could not resist kissing her forehead at her words, 'I am so relieved that it has helped you. I was getting desperate being away from you until I came up with the idea to write the letter and ask your mother to read it to you. I will always be grateful to her for that. Charlotte, what were you thinking before you collapsed and during your coma?'

She looked at him surprised at the question. She responded, 'I was angry at you. You were being short-sighted and thoughtless. I was thinking that you took me for granted, that you did not talk to me about your problems despite the fact that I knew I may have been able to help you. I was upset that you had thought so little of me. You had made no promises to me, but when you told me of your engagement, my heart broke in a million pieces. It felt as if you were inconstant in your affections and not to be trusted. It felt as if the rug was pulled from under my feet plunging me in a black, endless pit of misery.

Yet, at the moment of your announcement, I was too shocked to speak. That shock simply exacerbated the condition that I knew that I had as a child. My parents told me about it when I was young. It is true that I never told you about it. I have always been careful in giving my heart until you came along. I saw no reason for any alarm when we first met. We ended up being angry at each other anyway. However, the more time that we spent together, though, the more in love I fell with you. My feelings for you broke through my own defences before I knew it had happened and the heartbreak that ensued your announcement pushed things along faster towards the coma.

When your announcement came, it was just the cherry on top for my heart condition and I could not stop it from happening. It was a strange feeling of nausea and lack of oxygen that made me collapse.

I do not remember much from the time that I was in that coma. Mama and Alison told me what happened around me when they visited me in my room. I only knew that I was not unhappy in my dreams. It was a happy place which gave me no encouragement to wake up and join the real world. In a way my mind was protecting me from the heartbreak that I felt. I heard everyone around me. I wanted to speak out and I could not. I was so fed up with eating broth, but I could not voice my frustration. I knew that I missed you, but you were not there. I could not feel your presence. It was a very frustrating time for me.

Despite all the frustration, though, I still did not want to come back until mama read your letter to me. It made me realise that I could not stay away anymore. Your letter certainly showed me that you picked up some of the thoughts that went through my mind and it confirmed your thoughts as well. It confirmed that you loved me and you needed me back.'

Sidney was listening to Charlotte's narrative feeling his heart breaking in two. Oh, he was such a rake! How could he have caused her all this heartache and self-doubt! He must have been weeping as he felt Charlotte's fingers gently wiping away the tears. His voice was thick with emotion when he spoke dejectedly, 'I do not deserve you, my love. I would not blame you if you wanted nothing to do with me let alone allow me to court you.'

She replied by wordlessly giving him a kiss that he could not help but deepen- so desperate was he to wipe the sadness that crept in his soul after Charlotte's narrative. This tender kiss was both a consolation and promise for both of them. It was tender and soft.

She then broke the kiss and simply said, 'There is no need for such drastic measures, my darling Sidney. I have forgiven you a long time ago. You have proven yourself in London and all the time that you have been back in Sanditon. I know now that you love me and that I love you. That is a fact. I would love nothing more than for you to court me.

Yet, in truth we hardly know each other. We need to get to know each other. I want to know of your past and you need to know mine. We need to communicate our worries and concerns and be equal partners in this relationship. I need to be able to trust that you will not dismiss either my feelings or opinions when the going gets tough.

All in all, we need to assess how compatible we are for each other. There are times that love simply is not enough in a relationship. You need a foundation of trust and friendship to ride out any tough times for the future.'

Sidney was too moved to speak immediately. He brought her close to him and took his time in kissing her thoroughly until both of them were flush with need and they needed to break for air. He then looked at her adoringly and responded, 'You have made me a very happy man, my darling. There are not enough words to show you how much you mean to me. I agree with you. Everything has happened so fast. Getting to know each other is important. I will not hide anything from you again. May I write to your father to ask his permission to court you? Your mother could pass on the message to him at her next letter to him.'

Charlotte flashed a wide smile at him and said, 'Yes, please do. Mama will pass it on. Now what have you decided to do with Sanditon and Tom? Can I help?'

He gave her his charm smile and told her of his meeting with Mary, Arthur and Diana and what has been decided about Tom. He told her of the potential visit to Lady Denham and the investors. He also told her of his plans with Mr Stringer and the workers.

Charlotte took in all the information and nodded to encourage his narration. 'You have been busy, Sidney. How about we make the meeting with Lady Denham more interesting? She has been very kind and sending me donkey's milk every day to aid my recovery. How about both Alison and me join you at your visit to her on Friday morning? I would like to thank Lady Denham for her care and attention whilst I was unwell. You can ask to speak to Lady Denham along with Susan, Mary and Lord Babington and get the Sanditon agreement signed whilst mama, Alison and myself catch up with Lady Babington.'

He nodded at her sound reasoning, 'That does sound good but only if you are feeling up to it, Charlotte. You have not been out of bed for long. I don't want you to relapse.'

She retorted, 'I will be well enough. We are not going to walk there so no harm will come to me. Anyway, I cannot stand being in my bedroom a moment longer after being in there for so long. I long for the outside and for human contact. Why don't we go for a picnic at the beach tomorrow afternoon? We could take Alison, mama, Susan and Georgiana. We would have plenty of chaperones and we may even manage a walk on the beach.'

He smiled at her, 'That sounds like the perfect antidote to a demanding morning visit with Lady Denham, my clever Charlotte.'

She nestled on his chest and she asked quietly, 'What about the family meeting on Saturday morning?'

He knew what she was really asking. He knew that she would want to help with that meeting, but he had to protect her from that confrontation. He would never forgive himself if she relapsed, 'My love, I know you want to help with the family meeting on Saturday. Remember thought that it will be a very unpleasant one. Tom has been erratic and cruel. He has already lashed out against Mary. Please allow me to deal with that one myself. Mary, Arthur and Diana will be with me in the room. It will also help that there will be no servants in the house for Saturday morning.

What you can help me with though is with the children. Would you take them to Georgiana's abode and keep them busy? They have missed you very much and you have missed them. It would be the perfect opportunity to spend some time with them. I promise to tell you all that happens and you will be able to help me then. How does that sound?'

She knew he was right about this one and simply nodded in his embrace. She decided to change the topic by asking, 'Did you notice any particular regard from Mr Springer towards Alison, Sidney?'

He wondered at her question, 'In what way, my love? Do you mean that Mr Springer is sweet on your sister?'

She shifted in his embrace and grinned at him mischievously, 'Of course, Sidney. Don't tell me that it has escaped your notice? Where has your mind been wondering to?'

He knew that she was teasing him, 'Well, Miss Heywood, you have taken such a hold of both my mind and heart that there is no place for anyone else.' His comment made her cheeks go bright red and he could not resist kissing her softly.

He sobered up and continued, 'Yes, I did notice their secret glances- they were pretty obvious. Have you talked to your sister about it yet? Has she spoken to your mother about it?'

She responded, 'No, Allie has not spoken to any of us yet. I was going to speak to her tonight after dinner about it. You see you can help me with Mr Stringer. You are meeting with him on Sunday afternoon and you can gage his feelings on the matter. Are you up to doing some matchmaking with me?'

He laughed aloud at that last sentence, 'I am yours to command, my love. A bit of matchmaking it is. Remind me have I told you that I love you in the past few minutes?'

Charlotte smiled at him with glee and responded in the negative, 'No, Sidney, you have not. That is quite an omission, you know.'

He brought her close to him and whispered in her ear, 'Well, Charlotte Heywood, I love you more than life itself. I am no poet but Shakespeare has said it before me. Have you read Sonnet 116? Do you remember it?'

She sighed happily and said, 'Remind me, my prince.' He obliged her by whispering the sonnet in her ear.

_Sonnet 116_

_Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O no; it is an ever-fixed mark, That looks on tempests, and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come; Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved._

_(Shakespeare)_

She had of course read the sonnet before. She has always liked it. However, until Sidney dedicated it to her and her alone, she could not remember a time that it had made more sense. She could feel tears of happiness rolling down her cheeks listening to Sidney's words in her ear. She was so incredibly happy to have found the love the sonnet was describing. She was well aware that so many others have not been so lucky,

He finished speaking and waited her out whilst wiping her tears gently from her cheeks. She sat up and said, 'That was beautiful. I love you too, my Sidney. Shall we wait until papa responds to tell everybody about our courtship? I want to tell mama, Alie and Susan this evening. I will ask mama whether you can join us at my bedroom. We can tell them together.'

He nodded and said, 'Yes, of course, my love. Anything you wish.' He could not say anything more as they heard Tom and Mary coming in the house. They smiled at each other and Charlotte unwillingly got up from his lap. Not before giving him a brief and sound kiss on the lips though. A kiss that made him give her a wide Cheshire-cat-like happy smile.


	7. Surprises from the grave

The arrival of Tom and Mary at Trafalgar House also coincided with the arrival of a messenger and the postman. The messenger had two messages for Sidney- one from Lord Babington confirming the morning visit to Lady Denham and another one from the new investors confirming their arrival in Sanditon on Tuesday morning. The postman also brought a letter for Mrs Heywood which Charlotte took in order to pass on to her mother when she arrived for dinner.

Tom seemed unbothered by all those arrivals. He was still lost in his own world and did not notice the knowing looks that Mary, Charlotte and Sidney exchanged when they read the messages. He simply left them to retire to his room in order to refine his strategy to win back his wife and his family. His blindfold to achieving that one goal only- not Sanditon on this occasion- and ignoring everyone and everything else has been resurrected in its full force. He was determined to write down a plan of places that he would take her and gifts that he would give her.

He did not want to waste one moment. Therefore, he started looking through the letters that they exchanged when they were courting for the first time. He hoped to find a hint of what she liked and what she did not like. He read through each of her responses greedily and made notes on what information he could use from them.

He kept on when he picked up the last letter from the pile. He thought that it would be another letter from Mary, but to his utter surprise it was not such a thing at all. It was an unopened letter from his father dated the day before he died.

Tom's initial reaction was to let it drop on the floor as if he had been burned by it just by touching it and refresh himself with a drop of red wine. He simply could not believe that his father would ever take the time to write to him. He had always been of the opinion that his father did not care for him further than the fact that he was the oldest child and that he had to do his duty to the family. However, his curiosity has already been roused. One thing that Tom could not resist was a sealed letter- especially one addressed to him.

He kneeled, picked the letter up and opened it with trembling fingers. The pages were crisp and white as if the letter was written yesterday. They still smelled of sandalwood and cigar smoke, which was his father's signature smell when he was alive, and the handwriting was strong albeit a bit messier than his father's normal handwriting.

_To Tom, my heir and first born_

_This letter will surprise you as I am most likely dead when you read it. You are probably thinking now why I am even saying such things to you now of all times. I will explain. I am dying, my son. I will not get another chance to tell you all this. I hope that God will grant me the strength to finish this letter before he takes me in his embrace._

_I have not been a good father to you- I am heartily sorry for that as this was not my wish. I have never written to you when I was alive and I sent you away to school. In fact, I have never sat down to speak to you as a father should have done because I did not want to be seen as weak. I have never sat down to play with you despite knowing how jealous you were when I did so with your brother. I have relied on your tutors to teach you what you should learn to be successful. I have told you off when I should not have done. I have stopped you from your passion of carving when I knew that you enjoyed it._

_I have done all those things. However, I have not told you that I love you. I have not told you that the sight of you when you were born was the most memorable and happiest day in my life._

_I am proud of you, my son. I am proud of what you have achieved in your life so far. You have finished your schooling trying very hard to please me. I know that you disliked all the subjects that you were taught and that all business topics were abhorrent to you._

_Yet, you are a clever man, Tom. You can apply what you have learnt and make it count. Use your creativity and your business knowledge. Become a great man!_

_Did you know that you are very much like me when I was young? I was an enthusiastic child thriving on all creative topics and ignoring any serious business-related topics. My gracious parents granted me my wish. I thrived on learning to carve both stone and wood. I was a skilled craftsman. I craved to be become a craftsperson throughout childhood and young adulthood._

_All my actions were guided then from my one deep-sided desire to achieve that goal unknowingly endangering my own family's fortune. This indeed happen in my twenties after unsuccessfully attempting to open my own crafts workshop. I had the skill to do the crafts work, but I could not manage my finances. That led to direct failure._

_I was lucky that your uncle bailed me out and paid the debts. I was not married to your mother when that happened. Had I done that, then our whole family would have been in disgrace. You see our father, your grandfather, was dead by that time. My brother got me to learn the financial side and both of us worked on the family's businesses. We were a good team until the day he died. I then managed everything myself._

_There you have my reason, Tom, for pushing you so hard when you were young. I could see you repeating my own mistakes and I was afraid for your future._

Y_ou focus on one goal, like me, and you, like me, ignore everyone and everything else around you, exactly like me. I hoped that, by giving you all the necessary training and education to be a gentleman and care for your fortune, you would you be more successful in your younger years than myself. Perhaps I was wrong but perhaps I was not. Only the future can tell- alas I cannot predict it!_

_We suffer from the same fault, my son. It does run in the family. You cannot fight it, but you can control it. It takes everything out of you and it is a constant battle. It caused me to cause pain to my family and ignore my relationship with my wife, your doting mother, in the first years of my marriage to her. Only when your brother, Sidney, arrived did I realise that I had to rethink my priorities lest I lose my family._

_I tried my very best to increase the family fortune so that you all have a good inheritance. It was hard work, Tom. I am leaving some amounts to your brothers and sister, but the bulk of it will fall to you, Tom. Take care of it and make it last. Ask for help when you need it. Work with your siblings to preserve your inheritance. They can be your helpmates just like my brother was mine. Take their wishes into account._

_You would need to be strong and set your priorities correctly. Being the centre of attention, as you wish to be-again exactly like me- will not help you in finding the ultimate satisfaction in your life. Balance it out. Notice what is happening around you. Mind people's feelings and wishes. Help others._

_When you marry, Tom, honour your chosen mate with your full attention at all times and love your children unconditionally. Spend time with them._

_I cannot make up from all my faults as your father. It is too late. All I ask of you, my son, is not to repeat them._

_Love your family and your siblings. Both your mother and myself loved you all equally. There was no favourite despite what you may have thought. It is just difficult for some people to show their feelings. Your mother was good at that, but sadly, I have never had the talent for it. Yet, I tried in my own way._

_I bid you goodbye, my son, until we see each other again._

_Your father,_

_William Parker_

Tom folded the letter, put it on the table and simply sat there looking at the white wall for the next five minutes. He was speechless and he was shocked beyond belief after reading this missive from his dead father. He could not believe that his own honoured father had been just like him. He could not believe that his father had also made mistakes.

On the one hand, he felt lighter with that knowledge. It felt good to know that his father had not been without faults. On the other hand, he understood that he had repeated his father's first financial disaster- Sanditon in his case. Tom was at the same crossroads as his father. Tom was also losing his family. His father acted promptly and he saved his. It stood to reason that if Tom did the same and mended his ways, then there was no reason for things to go wrong. This made him smile and gave him hope.

Yet, he was afraid. Very afraid. His father's insistence that he would need to constantly fight against his natural fault of being oblivious to other people's feelings and intentions scared him. He could not manage that himself. He could not tell when he succumbed to it. Could he ask Mary and his siblings to guide him? It was a worthy thought. He would show them the letter soon. Tom then put the letters in a safe place and decided to rest for a bit.

Whilst Tom was being enlightened by his dead father, the unacknowledged betrothed couple knew that they needed to part their ways at least until dinner. Charlotte excused herself to her room for a short nap giving a loving look full of promise to her betrothed which Sidney acknowledged with a wide smile. He kissed her hand and told her that he would see her at dinner. He then retired to Tom's study to compose the letter to Mr Heywood and respond to Lord Babington's and the investors' messages.

Mary observed their interaction and knew that there was something different about them. They were bathed in a mist of love that only belonged to people who were courting. She sighed at that. She knew that this is how Tom should behave with her, but her dear husband simply did not have the strength of mind to think of anything apart from his goal- whatever that might be- at the present moment. She would need to see how he behaved before she made up her mind about the fate of their marriage. This meant another night in the nursery with her children- not that she minded. She always found that she slept better there these days anyway. Sleeping with Tom in the same bed was more than she could actually bear at present.

Betsy was on her way to the kitchen when Mary asked her of the whereabouts of the children. Betsy confirmed that they were taking a nap. This was a brilliant opportunity to plan tomorrow's morning visit with Sidney. Therefore, she went to the study to find him.

Sidney finished his perusal of the messages from his friend and the investors. He was just finishing his responses to them when Mary entered the study. He confirmed who would be attending Lady Denham in the morning as well as the plan that he had hatched with Charlotte. He also wrote to the investors asking them to meet him at the hotel on Tuesday morning- heaven forbid that Tom got wind that they were here. He would ruin the whole thing before it got started.

Mary asked her brother-in-law with a mischievous smile, 'Well, Sidney, do you have any news for me?'

Sidney pretended to be ignorant of Mary's real question and impishly responded, 'Why, Mary, I do not know what you could possibly mean.'

Mary laughed aloud at that response, 'You could not hide your happiness even if you wanted to- you are terrible liar, brother. She said yes to courtship, didn't she?'

Sidney grinned happily and nodded his head vigorously, 'Yes, she did, Mary and I could not be happier-I am floating on air at present with no wish to come down to earth. I am about to write to her father to ask for permission as we speak.'

Mary gave him a warm hug, 'I am so happy for you both. If anybody deserves to be happy, it is you two. I will keep it to myself until you announce it formally. I promise to be very surprised!'

He kissed her on the cheek and said, 'Thank you Mary. We will tell her mother, Miss Alison and Lady Susan this evening. The official announcement will be made once her father gives his permission. Now that you are here, shall I tell you our plan of attack for tomorrow morning?'

Mary nodded and agreed to the suggestion. Sidney then went to tell her what he discussed with Charlotte and her plan for when they visited Lady Denham. He also told her of the investors' visit. Mary listened attentively and said, 'I agree with Charlotte. That is a very good plan. We are still keeping the visit a social one but still getting the chance to entice Lady Denham to sign the document. Your plan with the investors sounds good as well. Did you say that Charlotte with join us for dinner tonight?'

Sidney responded, 'Yes, she said she would do. She is feeling stronger. I wonder whether it would be wise for Dr Levinson to check up on her again? She wants to spend all her time outside now and I worry that she might overdo it. Not that the good doctor could stop her even if she wanted to do anything. Yet I just don't want her to relapse. I do not believe I would handle that well at all.'

Mary smiled at him, 'I understand completely. A last check-up would not hurt her, but please be prepared to be the receiver of her tantrums if the doctor says anything that she does not like. I will ask him for tea tomorrow.'

Sidney breathed out his relief, 'Thank you Mary. I know she will not like it. I will tell her that I have asked you to call him. However, I cannot help but worry. She is too precious for me to lose. I can sort out any potential tantrums in my own charming way with her.'

Mary laughed aloud again and got up to leave to the direction of her own room for a well-earned rest. Sidney asked her to send for two messengers to him. She said she would do so. Five minutes later his messages were on their way to their destinations. Thus, Sidney refocussed his attention to draft his letter to Charlotte's father. He knew that this letter was as important as his letter to Charlotte's mother asking her to read his letter to her daughter. He could not fail at this as his happiness depended upon it. He would need to be eloquent and take his time with it.

He wrote:

_Mr Heywood,_

_my name is Sidney Parker and I am the brother of Tom Parker whom you met in Willingden. You might have heard of me from your wife, Mrs Heywood. I wrote to her asking her to read my letter to Charlotte._

_I love your daughter Charlotte and she loves me. She has graciously accepted my proposal for a courtship. I would like to ask your permission for me to court her. Would you allow me to visit you in Willingden to discuss this with you?_

_Your gracious servant,_

_Mr Sidney Parker_

He released a deep breath after writing this missive. He re-read it, sealed it and put it in his jacket's breast pocket to give to Mrs Heywood later on. He looked at the time. It was six in the evening and dinner would be at seven thirty. He was exquisitely happy and tired at the same time. He thought that some rest would not go amiss for him either. He made his way to his hotel. It only took him five minutes or so and by quarter past six he was in the land of Nod having previously given instructions to the hotel reception to be woken up at seven.


	8. An adult dinner

Dinner was fast approaching and the slumbering residents both in the hotel and Trafalgar House were waking up.

Charlotte managed to have a nap for half an hour but she was too excited to sleep longer than that. She was looking at her father's letter for her mother. It occurred to her that it would do no harm for her to write to her papa and her siblings. They would enjoy that.

She sat then and composed a long letter for her siblings and one for her father. The letter to her younger siblings was kept mostly light and playful in order to entertain them. However, the letter to her papa was more serious. She felt that she had to outline her relationship with Sidney, the details of her collapse and what happened after she woke up. She would do whatever she could so that her papa would be favourable towards her betrothed. So, she did! She put her heart and soul in that letter. She would give it to her mama to send out.

Sidney woke up from his nap and rushed to get dressed. He did not realise that it was already ten minutes past seven- he must have snoozed after the hotel receptionist woke him. He must have been very tired to sleep this long. He collected his letter and made his way out of his room. He met with the Heywood ladies and Lady Susan in the hotel's drawing room and all four of them made their way to Trafalgar House. Diana and Arthur joined them just when they reached it. Therefore, a merry party entered the house.

Mary welcomed her guests and encouraged them to join her at the sitting room and told them that dinner would be served shortly. Mrs Heywood and Alison excused themselves as they wanted to check on Charlotte. They found her ready and waiting to join the company for dinner, which pleased them immensely. Charlotte took the chance to give her mother her letters to her father and siblings as well as the letter that was sent for her mother's attention that morning.

Mrs Heywood missed her husband so a letter from him was a very precious commodity. She was very excited to receive it and both her daughters could tell as it was unusual for their mother to be all fingers and thumbs. Charlotte and Alison waited until their mother took her time to absorb the contents of the letter in her hands. They could see a number of different emotions passing through her face. She then looked at her two daughters, smiled at them and gave them the letter to read for themselves with a Cheshire-cat-like grin on her face.

The two sisters read the letter carefully and eagerly. Their papa told her mother about their siblings' adventures and that the whole family would arrive in Sanditon on Monday and stay for a week. They were also delighted to read that their family would be joined by their second cousin from their mother's side, Frederick Hanson and another guest. Their father wrote that he had some very important news to share with them upon his arrival.

Both girls flushed and their cheeks went beet red when they read that Frederick would arrive in Sanditon soon. They both used to have a childhood crush on him. It was a passing one for both of them as their hearts belonged to someone else at the moment- Charlotte was infatuated with Sidney and Alison with Mr Stringer, but they could not help themselves as their cousin was exceedingly handsome. He apparently turned heads everywhere he went which was a fact that did not leave the female members of his family immune to his charms.

Mrs Heywood knew exactly what her daughters were thinking. She secretly thought that getting their suitors a bit jealous and getting them to court them more openly would not do either of them any harm at all. Both Mr Sidney Parker and Mr James Stringer needed a push and Frederick was just the ticket. She was sure he would enjoy the sport very much. Oh, what fun she would have with her future son-in-laws!

All three Heywood ladies made their way to the dining room after the letter has been read. Charlotte was very excited to be able to have dinner with the rest of them instead of her bedroom. She could also hear Sidney's voice and she desperately wanted to see him, which was something both her mother and sister teased her endlessly about. She could only laugh and roll her eyes at both them good-naturedly. She would reveal the secret to them with Sidney after dinner. She could not wait!

Tom made his way down to the sitting room in trepidation. He thought of his father's words and he vowed to pay more attention to the people around him this evening. He entered the room, greeted the present company and kissed his wife's hand, which caused her to blush furiously. Just then Charlotte, her mother and sister entered the room and the whole room really came alive due to the sparks between Sidney and Charlotte.

Tom was amazed at the difference. It was as if his father's words had lifted a veil from his eyes. He found that just by not being the centre of attention, he could then see how the other people behaved. Sidney, Diana and Arthur were still wary of him. He could tell from their body language- it was stiff and defensive. Mary was cautious and did not know what to make of him. Lady Susan was her normal, polite self without revealing her thoughts to anyone but her chosen close circle of friends. Mrs Heywood and Alison were as amiable as ever. Charlotte was smiling at everyone spreading a wave of good will throughout the room. Yet, the moment her eyes fell on Sidney, she glowed like a diamond and so did he.

Tom felt like a fool. He saw the same reaction between Sidney and Charlotte at the ball in London. He thought that it was Mrs Campion that made Sidney happy! Well, he was blind! His father was perfectly right to take him to task in that letter. He did not pay any attention to anything! Tom Parker, told he, to himself, you are a blundering fool! No wonder your wife wants nothing to do with you. Look at how Sidney looks at Charlotte and she at him. That is what being in love means. Not what you do! I say again you are a first-rate fool! You better find a way out of this and soon.

The rest of the group were not witness to Tom's internal telling-off to his own self as they were not used to him observing them. They did not make much of it. Yet, Mary noticed a slight difference. Her gregarious husband's eyes were fleeting from person to person with interest noticing what each of them was doing, saying or feeling. A slight glimmer of hope entered her heart. Whether that glimmer of hope would turn into a flower, that was up to Tom. All she could do was wait for his next move. For it was definitely his move and not hers!

The whole party walked into the dining room. They settled down to their dinner without the children that evening. Mary imparted to the company that the children had had their dinner earlier and went straight to sleep after their day at the beach. They would enjoy an adult dinner this evening.

Mary made sure to place Sidney and Charlotte next to each other. They were so close to each other that Sidney took his chance to hold his betrothed's hand throughout dinner. He could feel the warmth of her body and it drove him mad. He relished touching her bare skin and the effect it had on her. She was blushing furiously and she kept throwing him not so secret glances and coy smiles which were only too obvious to the rest of the people in the room.

Yes, Charlotte did indeed find it really difficult to eat as Sidney's touch on her bare skin was very distracting. All she could do is smile at him to show him how she appreciated what he was doing. What she really wanted was to be alone with him in the room- it was one of those times where being proper weighed upon her a bit too much.

Mrs Heywood and Lady Susan exchanged silent glances of their hostess, who with just a slight nod of her head imparted the knowledge of Charlotte and Sidney's courtship to them. They understood of the secrecy, smiled at each other and each of them promised to be surprised when they heard of it.

It was certainly a novelty that Tom even noticed that silent communication between the three women. He wondered what they were telling each other. It must be good news judging from their smiles. He was always amazed how one woman could exchange one look with the other and they could communicate a million things. He wondered why could not men do that? What a shame it was!

The dinner was proceeding nicely until Mrs Heywood decided to start the fond torturing of her future son-in-law. She mentioned her family's visit to Sanditon on Monday as well as Frederick's and the other guest whom she did not know anything about.

The whole company delighted in hearing of the Heywood family visit. Some dreaded it as well though- Sidney for example would meet Charlotte's father for the first time. That was enough to make him nervous. Yet, he had the strangest feeling that both Charlotte's and Alison's cheeks went a touch redder at the mention of their cousin's name and both girls focussed on their plates for an unusually long time. He did not like this and the green monster of jealousy came out with a vengeance. Charlotte was his and his alone! Her cousin would just have to do without her or else!

He knew she loved him. He was sure of that! Nevertheless, it would do no harm to ask her about this cousin of hers. The only man she should be blushing would be him alone! His mind has already started looking at ways he would get her to do just that! He might just drop a hint to Mr Stringer to get a move on if he did not want to lose his chance with Alison. He made a mental note to do so on Sunday during their meeting.

Sidney's slight change of emotion did not go unnoticed by Charlotte as he was still holding her hand when he momentarily went all stiff at the mention of her cousin's name and a slight scowl spread on his face. She grinned at him for that and she nearly wanted to laugh aloud at his puzzled expression when he looked back at her!

He was jealous! Well, she loved him dearly, but she thought that a bit of a push for him to make more of an effort during their courtship would not go amiss. Yes, Frederick's visit was very well timed, indeed! She only had brotherly feelings for her cousin so she was looking forward to seeing him again. He was an excellent conversationalist so she enjoyed talking to him very much.

Charlotte kept on with her thoughts whilst eating her dinner. Her mama was a very wise woman, which Charlotte acknowledged by looking at her mama and nodding her head slightly in agreement. Mother and daughter understood each other perfectly without any explanations or statements. Lady Susan caught on what was happening and grinned at both Charlotte and her mother. She would grill both of them for information of cousin Frederick at the next appropriate moment.


	9. Jealousy

The dinner ended and the company moved to the sitting room for coffee and biscuits. The gentlemen decided to stay with the ladies that evening. Neither Sidney nor Arthur felt comfortable in the presence of Tom these days. Having the ladies present was certainly a buffer that was welcomed by both of them. Tom continued being vigilant with his observations and for the first time sensed how uncomfortable his brothers felt around him. It made him very sad that it got to this stage. Yet, the only person to blame was himself.

The group divided in groups. Mrs Heywood, Lady Susan and Diana were having a discussion on the latest fashion on sleeves, Alison and Arthur were discussing her performance in the tag game which has impressed the youngest Parker brother immensely and Tom was sitting with Mary reading a book of poetry they shared during their courtship days.

This left both Charlotte and Sidney adequately chaperoned talking quietly in the furthest corner of the room. Sidney took his chance to tell Charlotte about the doctor's visit tomorrow afternoon and perhaps ask her about Frederick.

'Charlotte, my love, how have you been feeling?'

Charlotte looked up at her betrothed in a puzzled manner which caused her to scrunch her brow in thought- an action that Sidney found utterly adorable. He wanted to kiss it away.

'I am well, Sidney, why do you ask?'

Sidney suddenly felt very shy. He did not want to embarrass her. 'Well, my love, you were a bit flushed during dinner. I was just concerned that you were feeling unwell.'

Charlotte grinned at him 'Oh, Sidney, I am perfectly fine. The room was very warm, that is all. You should know why. You were sitting right next to me. I could hardly concentrate on my food with you holding my hand throughout dinner.'

Sidney kissed her hand lovingly and said, 'You were a wonderful distraction yourself. I don't think I even remember what I ate. Yet, Charlotte, I worry. You have said that you wanted to be out and about more. I worry that you will relapse, my love, and my heart could not take it if anything happened to you. The first time nearly killed me- the second one would finish me off. Would you not consider seeing Dr Levinson one last time for him to check that everything is in order? For me? It would make me feel better. '

She sighed rather loudly which caused Mrs Heywood look at her. Her motherly spidery instincts were awoken by Charlotte's sigh. Charlotte noticed her mother's reaction and smiled at her reassuringly. Her mother was appeased and turned her attention to her conversation again.

She then turned to look at the anxious face of her betrothed. She told him in mock anger, 'I will if it so important for you. Yet, know this- I refuse to stay in that bedroom a moment longer than necessary. I intend to spend most of my time out of the house.'

Sidney grinned widely at her, 'Thank you, my love. Mary has asked him tomorrow for tea. Talking about bedrooms though, I will remind you though that there will come a time after we are married that you would only want to spend time in the bedroom and nowhere else. I am certainly looking forward to that time myself very much indeed.'

Charlotte blushed at that. She returned the tease, 'I can certainly imagine the bedroom being a more interesting room if you happen to be in it at the same time.'

Sidney shook his head at her and she could see the slight blush on his cheeks. Sidney thought to himself that only his Charlotte even had the power to make him feel like a teenager in love.

He had to ask about Frederick though. He was burning with curiosity. 'Charlotte, who is Frederick? Tell me about him.'

She expected that question. She did not want to keep any secrets from him. 'Frederick is our second cousin from mama's side. Frederick Wentworth is his full name. He lives in the North of England where the rest of mama's family comes from. He used to spend his summers at Willingden until he joined the navy at the age of 15. He is currently the captain of the Laconia. He has not come to see for a while. Papa mentioned in his letter to mama that he would bring him along to Sanditon.'

Sidney shifted in his seat slightly and asked cautiously, 'And...what do... you... think of him?'

She smirked at him fondly and said, 'Frederick is very handsome and popular amongst the Heywood ladies.'

This comment made Sidney frown and huff indignantly, 'I see...Anything else I should know?'

Charlotte laughed aloud at that reaction which made Sidney scowl even more. 'Really, Charlotte, I do not see how that is funny!'

She kept giggling for a few minutes until she collected herself enough to respond, 'It is merely that you are jealous of a cousin that you have not yet met. It is utterly adorable, my prince.'

She went all serious then, he took his hand and looked at him adoringly, 'You have no reason to worry. I think of Frederick as my cousin. I only love one man and that man is you. It has always been you ever since I met you with Mary at the cliffs for the first time- do you remember when you mistook me for the maid?

Yes, I will admit, I used to have a youthful crush on Frederick. So did Allie. So did all the ladies at the village of Willingden. He is a handsome man but he holds no candle to you, my love.'

Sidney squeezed her hand at her words and sighed happily, 'What a relief! I guess I will make my own mind about him next week. It doesn't mean I will not keep an eye on you when he is around. You are far too precious to lose, my sweet.'

She retorted, 'I would expect no less of you. I expect the full courtship process, kind sir with no shortcuts! What did you think when you saw me at the cliffs with Mary? I have always wondered. Will you tell me?'

He smiled at the memory and said, 'I remember I was angry for having to visit Sanditon upon Tom's insistence that day. I did not know who you were at the time but I think it was love at first sight for me as well.

Not that I wanted to admit it at the time. I resisted until I could not resist any more. You somehow managed to bypass the wall I had encased my heart in and smashed it in smithereens. The beauty of it thought was that had no airs and no idea that you had done that.

In fact, I got angrier and scowled at myself even more for falling under your charm. That is why I pretended not to know your name after Mary introduced us. I did not want to show my weakness.'

She giggled, 'What a brave attempt not to succumb, my darling Sidney! I am glad you did in the end. Look where we are now.'

Both Sidney and Charlotte's discussion was observed by everyone in the room. They were all happy for them. Tom continued observing the people around him. He was still sitting next to Mary and they were looking through the list of poems. She was telling him how she liked Shakespeare's sonnets, which of course he made a note for the future.

Yet, he was slightly distracted again by Charlotte and Sidney's interaction. He kicked himself again on how stupid he had been. They looked so happy. Sidney's face was open and affable as when he was young. Charlotte only had eyes for Sidney. He really has to apologise to both of them for putting them through such an unnecessary hardship.


	10. Courtship announcement

The evening passed all too soon, and it was time to retire for the evening. Sidney and Charlotte exchanged a look communicating silently to each other that the announcement of their courtship was imminent which made them grin at each other like besotted fools. Something that Mrs Heywood did not miss- it reminded her of her own courtship announcement to her family- what a party that was! She smiled fondly at the memory.

The first ones to retire were Arthur and Diana. They asked Tom whether he would join them for a spot of bathing with the children tomorrow morning. Tom was still in a pleasant mood, so he agreed wholeheartedly. He felt guilty about not spending time with his brother and sister. The children would be a good opportunity for them to learn to get on with each other. They were siblings after all, and their father would have wanted them to get along.

Tom wanted Mary to join them, but she politely refused quoting that she had household issues that she needed to attend to. The absence of the children and the adults would give her the chance to complete them in a very satisfactory manner. Mary told a white lie, of course, which was not missed by Sidney who smirked at his sister-in-law's capability to lie when she wished to do so. She threw him a warning glance lest Tom suspected any other ulterior motive to her decline to join his party on the morrow.

Luckily for both Mary and Sidney, Tom's observation skills have not sharpened that much yet. He was still a beginner who was definitely not ready to compete with the masters. They got away with this innocent deception on this occasion. Tom suspected nothing and told his wife that they might perhaps go for a walk together in the afternoon. Mary agreed to the suggestion with alacrity- the chance to spend some alone time with her husband was a very welcome treat indeed.

Plans were made to everyone's satisfaction, so the party broke up naturally for the evening. Mary and Tom went towards their sleeping quarters and Arthur and Diana headed towards their shared residence. Tom hesitantly asked his wife when they reached their bedroom door whether she would join him tonight. She felt awkward saying what she said, but she ventured this response.

'Tom, I am not ready for that yet. We have to get to know each other again. I fear that sleeping in the same room would not allow us to do that. You do understand, don't you?'

Tom looked to the ground deliberately observing his shoes with greater interest than necessary in order to hide his discomfort at his wife's announcement. He said eventually, 'Whatever makes you feel more comfortable, Mary. I look forward to our walk tomorrow, my dear.' He kissed her cheek and went into their bedroom whilst Mary made her way to the nursery where her maid had prepared a bed for her. She internally wondered how Tom was going to behave during their walk tomorrow. She enjoyed going through the book of poetry with him earlier in the evening as this was something that they both enjoyed doing very much during their original courtship.

The rest of the party, Mrs Heywood, Alison, Sidney and Charlotte stayed in the sitting room. Mrs Heywood could take the suspense no longer and asked her daughter outright as was the Heywood custom, 'Well, Charlotte, are you going to tell us or not? We are burning from curiosity here!'

Charlotte smirked at her mother's pronouncement and gave her this cheeky response, 'Really, mama, I cannot imagine what you could be referring to. Tell you what?'

Alison caught up on their mother's meaning, 'Yes, Charlotte, what do you need to tell us? Mama is quite right, you know.' At that moment, Lady Susan chipped in saying, 'You too have not exactly been discreet, my dears, might as well tell us.'

Charlotte and Sidney capitulated after the gentle prompting of all three. Sidney looked at the mischievous face of his lady love and nodded. That nod meant to Charlotte that he would announce it himself. She nodded back agreeing mutely to his question- a communication that did not go unnoticed by the other people in the room- this showed them just how deeply connected both of them were just being able to communicate their meaning with a single look. He then looked at their audience and announced proudly, 'I am delighted to announce that my dearest Charlotte has allowed me to court her.'

All three ladies were loud in their approval of the announcement. They hugged Charlotte congratulating her warmly and they extended the same congratulations to Sidney. All those congratulations made both Charlotte and Sidney blush profusely just for being the centre of attention.

Mrs Heywood addressed Sidney, 'Well done, Mr Parker. I am of course extremely delighted for this development. You will have the chance to approach my husband for his approval next week. I gather that you have also written to him. You could give him the letter when you meet up with him.'

She then addressed her daughter, 'Charlotte, I am very happy for you, my child.'

Alison enthusiastically picked up the torch from their mother in a more profusive manner, 'I am so happy for both of you! It is such marvellous news.'

Lady Susan then said, 'I agree with both your mother and sister, Charlotte. It is the most wonderful news. It gladdens my heart to hear it. Congratulations, Mr Parker.'

Mrs Heywood then asked her daughter, 'I gather you will announce your courtship once your papa agrees, Charlotte?'

Charlotte nodded at her mother's comment, 'Yes, mama, we will wait until then. We will then announce it officially.'

Lady Susan simply remarked, 'Well, your hostess already knows. She won't tell her husband or anyone else until you tell her though.'

Charlotte was surprised at her friend's remark, 'She knows? How?'

Sidney looked at her sheepishly, 'Mary came in the room when I was writing the letter to your father. I was far too happy to hide the news. I had to share it with someone.'

She blushed at that comment, 'That is all right, Sidney. I trust Mary. I was just surprised, that is all.'

Mrs Heywood laughed at the scene, 'Oh, Mr Parker, you will learn soon enough that it is not always wise to keep secrets from us Heywoods, be it male or female.'

Sidney simply agreed with her and took Charlotte's hand in his, 'Oh, I know that very well. It shan't be a habit that I will repeat in a hurry. Charlotte knows how to keep me in check in the most charming way.' He smiled at Charlotte and kissed her hand lovingly.

They then went through their plan for when they visited Lady Denham for tea in the morning. It was agreed that Sidney, Mrs Heywood, Alison and Lady Susan would pick both Charlotte and Mary up at nine thirty in the morning. They would then take the carriage there. They estimated that leaving Trafalgar House after nine in the morning would be enough for Tom, Diana, Arthur and the children to leave for their sunbathing in order to catch up with the tide. The saying 'The tide and time wait for no-one' was not said without good reason.

Plans were made and thus Sidney asked Mrs Heywood for a private moment with Charlotte before escorting the three ladies back to the hotel. Mrs Heywood gave her permission and all three ladies left the young couple for a few minutes to say their goodbyes. She said that they would wait for him at the front room. It would give them time to retrieve their outerwear.

They knew that they did not have much time. The moment the door closed behind them, they gravitated towards each other like magnets. Sidney looked at Charlotte in awe and traced her lips delicately with his fingers. A motion which made her tremble slightly in his arms.

He did not wait long to bend his head down to hers and kiss her with all the lack of restraint that he had to exercise over dinner and around company. Charlotte was not any better. Ever since his attentions during dinner, all she could think of was kissing him.

The kiss went on and on without any of them having any notion of the need to breathe. That kiss was one of the most exhilarating ones for both of them- it was a celebration of having finally reached the point where they could be with each other without censure. It was full of passion and promise for a bright future.

At some point they unwillingly broke for air, but they stayed in each other's embrace until they recovered themselves and their breathing became less rugged.

Sidney was the first to recover his speech, 'Oh my love, I have been aching to kiss ever since before dinner. Sitting throughout dinner without being able to touch you properly was the most exquisite torture.'

Charlotte blushed and retorted with a heated glance at him, 'I must admit I felt exactly the same. Any chance for an encore to ensure sweet dreams, my prince?'

He did not need to be told twice- kissing his Charlotte was his favourite addiction and he would indulge on it as much he could. The second kiss was even more explosive than the first. Their tongues battled with barely concealed passion which made them moan at the back of their throat. Sidney knew that if they continued, he would not be able to stop himself. That kiss was starting to affect him physically more than any other one before. Oh, how he hoped for a short courtship!

He slowed the kiss down reluctantly and said, 'Oh, my favourite minx, I would kiss you forever. However, if we don't stop, my love, I will not be able to stop myself and do unspeakably pleasant things to you. Dare I hope for a short courtship? I will not last for long if we keep kissing like this.'

Charlotte nestled in his warm and steady embrace and responded whilst looking at him with a cheeky smile, 'You will have to prove yourself just a tad more, Sidney. If you behave as you should, I might just be inclined to agree to your very tempting request.'

He gave her a smile and a chaste kiss on the lips, and he said with a frustrated sigh, 'I should go to the front room to meet your family and Lady Susan. Good night, my love.'

She smiled and responded, 'Good night, my prince.'

The Heywood ladies and Lady Susan were indeed waiting for Sidney. They were not cross for his delay, but they teased him mercilessly all the way to the hotel. He bore it magnanimously without complaint seeing that his thoughts were with his Charlotte and the kisses they shared- a fact that he could certainly not share with his future family. He would sleep very well tonight. True to his expectation, he slept like a baby.

Sidney was not the only one with pleasant thoughts and dreams. Charlotte was replaying their kisses in her head and felt flush all over again. She was so very tempted to agree to his request for a short courtship. Yet, she knew that they needed to get to know each other more. As she told him, he would have to keep trying to win her trust.


	11. Jitters and fantasies

Friday morning dawned. It was a hot and sunny day with a slight breeze- a lovely day to be out and about. It suited not only the people of Sanditon, whom you could see buzzing around opening their businesses for the last day of the working week, but the visitors who benefited from the practice of sea bathing.

The bathing machines were especially popular with the ladies today. They were all keen on sampling the calm sea and the warm water as they had to forego their swim the days before due to the choppy water. The gentlemen did not want to miss out either. Therefore, they said goodbye to their ladies in order to enjoy the cool sea water on their own side of the beach.

Sea bathing was also in Sidney's mind this morning. He woke up at six in the morning after a wholesome and refreshing sleep craving for a swim. He realised that he had been in Sanditon for at least a week and he had not been for a swim yet. He was having breakfast with the Heywood ladies –Charlotte's mother and sister- and Lady Susan at eight in the morning. This meant that he had two hours to himself. Thus, he got himself ready and walked towards his favourite place on the beach- the cove where Charlotte discovered him coming out of the sea.

When he got there, he undressed and enjoyed a vigorous swim of thirty minutes around the bay. He relished how the sea water embraced his naked limbs and how refreshing it felt on a hot day. He spent the remaining half hour floating peacefully on the water. After staying in the water for a good hour, he then made his way back to the hotel for a hot bath to wash the saltiness off his body.

The hotel staff had already prepared his bath as per his request. The lavender-scented bath was just what he needed after a good swim and it soothed the exercised muscles of his limbs as he was sore all over due to the lack of exercise.

He thought to himself how delightful it would have been for Charlotte to share this bath or a swim with him. This was of course a far from relaxing thought- though not in an unpleasant way- in fact it was a most pleasurable one. It was a fantasy that he had often indulged in but never dared to admit to himself before.

It had always been kept hidden safely in his subconscious ever since she found him swimming in the cove, though. He now dared to bring it out in the open as he felt more secure in Charlotte's love for him. He felt safe to daydream of a bright future with the woman he loved where he would share this and other fantasies with her sometime soon. He hoped sooner than later!

He wondered whether she had fantasies that she would share with him in time. He hoped so very much. Yet, he knew that his work in winning back her trust was not done. Not yet. She said so herself. He would persevere and use every honourable trick in the book to achieve his goal.

He was a tad miffed about that cousin of hers, Frederick, though. Why did he have to come into the picture? Why now? Yes, Charlotte did tell him that she only loved him and him alone. He both believed and trusted her. He truly did. Yet, one small part of his brain could still not accept that he had a chance with her. This self-doubt made him nervous when new people came in the picture. Especially someone whom she admired in the past.

He concluded that he would give this Frederick the benefit of the doubt and he would see what was to happen next week. All these ruminations made him forget that his bath water was completely cold. He knew by the goose bumps that were spreading all over his body. This prompted him to leave the bathtub in order to get ready for breakfast. He was due to meet the ladies in 15 minutes.

He did not have much time to dress. Yet, today was an important day due to the visit to Lady Denham. At least that was Sidney's superficial excuse. Part of his strategy to win Charlotte's trust was to dress as becomingly as possible. Today he opted for a well-fitted olive-green jacket with a gold-coloured waistcoat. Charlotte, thought he to himself, has only actually seen him in black. It would be good for her to see him in more colourful outfits. He did make sure thought to put all the necessary documents they needed Lady Denham to sign in his jacket pocket before leaving his room.

Despite checking his appearance in the mirror at least twice, he was ready on time. He found them sitting in the hotel's dining room at the table near the window which was overlooking the main street.

His last thought before entering the said room was what Charlotte would wear for the visit. She normally wore her beautifully fitted white dresses, which made her look positively angelic. Would she wear white or another colour? He put those thoughts to rest for now and bid the ladies good morning.

The three ladies appraised his appearance and approved whole heartedly. He looked very handsome in his olive-green coloured jacket. Despite that only one of them voiced their thoughts aloud. It was Lady Susan. She commented, 'You look very well today, Mr Parker. Is this your battle wear to impress the grand lady?'

Sidney blushed beet red at Lady Susan's comment but opted for a quiet thank you and went to get himself some breakfast. He was never comfortable in being the centre of attention unless of course Charlotte joined him in the limelight.

The ladies knew that his outfit was for Charlotte's benefit. There was no need to reveal to him that they knew exactly what he was up to. They would keep their thoughts to themselves for now. They were simply glad that he was making the effort to impress her. Charlotte deserved that and more.

They were all hungry and they concentrated in consuming a large portion of eggs, bacon and beans along with enjoying the perfectly brewed tea. They then made their way to Trafalgar House early- each of them for reasons of their own.

On the one hand, Lady Susan wanted some time with Alison and Mrs Heywood to find out more about their cousin. She liked nothing better than meeting new people especially ones who were meant to be handsome. She wanted to extract every juicy detail from them. She also wanted to confirm her suspicion whether it was the same Frederick of her youth. The one who got away. The one whom her parents did not allow her to wed.

On the other hand, Sidney wanted to spend some time with Charlotte before the visit to Lady Denham. His senses were heightened by both his swim and his bath. He craved to kiss her good morning before he exploded from anticipation. It was good for him that his poker face did not betray these thoughts as his future mother-in-law and Lady Susan would have started teasing him again. Not that he minded, but one could only be teased so much.

They reached Trafalgar House and found the place in a state of noisy disarray. They entered the front room to find three children whose excitement was literally bouncing from the walls. They were rushing their father, Arthur and Diana to rush otherwise they would lose the best spot on the beach. Tom looked sleepy and disgruntled- he was never a morning person at the best of times, Diana looked amused and Arthur became one of the children and started goading Tom and Diana to rush as well.

The children only stopped for a moment to rush to Sidney and the ladies to greet them. They hugged their uncle Sidney first and then each of the ladies, even Lady Susan. She even let them. She liked the Parker children as they were carefree, artless and affectionate. They liked her very much as they said she was pretty and that she looked like a princess every time they saw her.

In only ten minutes' after the group's entrance in the house, Mary managed to calm her children down and get them to leave with the adults. She gave Tom a picnic basket and Arthur two blankets for all them to sit down. She made sure to give Tom a kiss on the cheek, which she knew would get him out of his bad morning mood. A gesture which made Tom very happy indeed and got him grinning at his wife widely in an instant.

Mary sighed a sigh of relief when they were out of the house. She even voiced it aloud to everyone's surprise, 'Finally, I thought they would never leave!' All of them laughed at Mary's exasperation. Sidney asked Mrs Heywood whether he would be able to have a bit of time with Charlotte before the visit which she agreed. She went to fetch her whilst Mary took Lady Susan and Alison to the sitting room. Mrs Heywood was to join them in a moment. Mrs Heywood true to her word came down with Charlotte walking behind her. She gave her daughter an affectionate hug and left the two lovebirds alone in the front room.

Mrs Heywood entered the sitting room with a smirk on her face. Alison understood and asked her mother, 'How are those two doing, mama? Are they still as smitten as teenagers?'

Mrs Heywood giggled aloud and answered to everyone in the room, 'Yes, they are. It was a delight to see.'

Lady Susan did not want to waste this opportunity so she asked the Heywood ladies, 'Will you tell both Mary and myself about your cousin Frederick. It would be good to know something about him before his arrival next week.'

Mrs Heywood wondered at Susan's -they were in first-name basis, she called her Susan and Susan called her with her first name, Jane in private- explicit interest in Frederick. He decided to indulge her curiosity.

'We come from a long line of Wentworths based in Liverpool. My parents and my two uncles, James and David, are the only remaining family members from the Wentworth line. I am an only child.

On the one hand, my uncle James has two sons and one daughter. The eldest is Tom, who is a vicar in Somerset and the younger one is Frederick. He is a naval officer who has just become a captain and has made his fortune. It has not been confirmed, but my uncle James mentioned that Frederick received around £25,000 worth of prize money.

My cousin, Sophia, has been married to Admiral Croft for the last 15 years. She is happily married to him. He was present in the battle of Trafalgar, then assigned in the East Indies and holds the rank of Rear Admiral of the White. They currently live at Kellynch Hall.

On the other hand, my uncle David, who is currently travelling in the East Indies, never married. We have not heard from him for a while, which is a slight worry. I hope Frederick brings us some news of him. He has always been one of my favourite uncles and one of Charlotte's as well. They got on like a house on fire. She used to love hearing about his adventures in the Indies.'

Lady Susan held his breath throughout Mrs Heywood narration. It was the same Frederick! The very same one whom she fell in love with when visiting her uncle in Liverpool. The one whom her parents refused to allow her to marry due to his lack of fortune despite the fact that both Frederick and herself were hopelessly in love with each other. It was right after this unfortunate romance that she met Lord Worcester whom she really liked, but never fully loved. He was very good to her- he was no Frederick though.

When she found out about Charlotte and Sidney's romantic troubles, she hastened to help them. This was due partly because of her affection for Charlotte and partly because she could not bear another person suffer the heartbreak that she herself had suffered after not being able to marry Frederick. Knowing now that she helped one member of his family was one of the most satisfying feelings that she has had for a while. She was elated!

She was both nervous and excited about seeing him again next week. What would he do? Would he still remember her? She knew that she still loved him despite everything. She would really need to keep her nerves intact next week otherwise she ran the risk of being as lovesick as Charlotte. Oh, the anticipation of it all- she could still feel her heart thumping in her ears! She made the effort to calm down and refocus on Mrs Heywood's narration.

Lady Susan regained her wits at the point when Mrs Heywood finished her narration. Luckily none of the other people in the room perceived her inattention.

Whilst Mrs Heywood was enthralling her audience with a bit of family history, Sidney was stunned on how beautiful Charlotte looked this morning. She opted for a delicately patterned dress in white background colour and gold poppies. It was in fact the same gold colour of his waistcoat. The dress flattered her in the right places and showed off her curves to perfection. Her hair was also down- exactly how he liked it. She had sparkling eyes and her cheeks were a lovely red colour.

Charlotte was not unaffected either when she saw him. It was the first time that she saw him wear any other colour apart from black. The gold waistcoat matched her dress perfectly as if they had pre-agreed the colours. The green fitted jacket fitted him perfectly and it emphasized his powerful broad shoulders. He looked like Adonis incarnate only clothed.

They kept staring at each other mutely for a couple of minutes before Sidney snapped out of his trance state enough to take her hand gently and lead her to the study. He closed the door for some privacy and took her in his arms for an embrace.

They hugged for a moment or two without saying much. To start with, they wanted to savour each other's presence. Then, Charlotte felt Sidney's arms pull her tighter to him. She saw him stare at her lips intently and he leaned down to give a brief but thorough morning kiss. Only then did he whisper in her ear, 'Good morning, my beautiful Charlotte.'

She looked up at him with glazed eyes and responded, 'Good morning, my prince charming. You look very handsome today. Is this for Lady Denham's benefit or mine?'

He gave her a grin, 'Lady Denham? Of course not. It is all for you, my love. However, if it helps our case with Lady Denham, then this would be a bonus, would it not?'

She responded, 'Why, of course, Sidney. I must admit though that I find the thought of it being just for me a tad more appealing. Did you know that I dreamt of you last night?'

He looked at her in surprise and asked in a teasing voice, 'You did? What was the dream about? Will you tell me?'

She blushed before saying, 'Well, it was when I saw you at the cove. Only with a different ending from me running away from you. In my dream I stayed.'

He sat down on the settee and sat her on his lap. He brought her close and asked, 'What happened when you stayed? What did we do?'

Charlotte looked down as if embarrassed and stated matter-of-factedly looking straight at him, 'We swam together.'

There was no blush. She looked serious. Yet, the change in her pupils told him another story. She was sharing something that she wished for them to do together in her own unique way.

He simply said, 'That sounds like a wonderful dream. Would you like it to come true? I know I certainly would. It is in fact one of the things that I would like us to do together. You see I had the same thoughts this morning after my morning swim.'

She did not respond to him in words. She leaned and captured his waiting full-bodied lips giving him a full kiss. Her boldness caught him unawares. It took him a moment to start kissing her back. When he truly got into it, he did not want to let her go. She tasted delicious. He could still taste the citrus from her tea on her tongue. If it wasn't for the visit, he would rather stay with her in the study kissing her amongst other things for the duration of the day.

They broke the kiss as they needed to break for air. Once he had recovered his breath, 'We will do that then.' Charlotte nodded and smiled at him widely.

They did not have much more time after their kiss as Mrs Heywood knocked on the door to tell them that the carriage had arrived to take them to Lady Denham's house. They exchanged a soft kiss, straightened their clothing and joined Mary, Mrs Heywood Alison and Lady Susan in the front room.


	12. Courtship and new starts

The ladies and Sidney were on their way to Lady Denham at Sanditon House when Tom, his siblings and his children reached their spot at the beach. The Parkers were not the only ones who were hit by the same inspiration that day. The long sandy beach was filled with both visitors and local people enjoying a picnic and a good swim. The children were right to have rushed their guardians to the beach as it was filling up fast to the adults' dismay.

Once the blankets have been put on the sand with the picnic basket on them, the Parker siblings agreed upon their plan of action. It was of course difficult for all of them to go swimming at the same time due to the location of the bathing places seeing that men bathed at a separate place from the women. Therefore, it was agreed that Tom, Arthur and Henry would go swimming and Diana and the girls would go upon their return. This would give the opportunity to the male adults of the family to spend some time with Henry and Diana to indulge her nieces in their wish in building the largest sandcastle on the beach.

Thus, the two brothers and Henry found themselves swimming happily some moments later. The calm water was the perfect temperature. Both Tom and Arthur were keen for Henry to enjoy his swim, so they stayed on the shallowest part of the beach. They could not enjoy a good swim themselves, but the joy of Henry's happy face when he was part-swimming and part- playing in the seawater made up for that.

Neither brother said much to the other one- Arthur was still wary of his eldest brother and Tom was frantically thinking of a way to reconnect with Arthur. Instead they focussed all their attention on the young three-year-old boy making sure that he had the best possible time. Tom told them stories from his childhood and both Arthur and Henry gave him their full attention.

You would think that only young Henry would be interested in his father's stories. That was not true. Arthur was very young when his father had died. He greedily took every chance that he was given to hear anything at all about him. Finding Tom in a story-telling mood was a chance in a million and he would take it. He knew that despite his eldest brother's faults, Tom was one of the very few members of the Parker family who had known their parents the longest. Therefore, Tom had two avid listeners to his tales- a fact that for once in his life he fully acknowledged and appreciated.

This active listening came naturally to Arthur- he had inherited the skill from their mother who was a very good listener and communicator. However, it meant that Tom, who got the short end of the straw, had to make a supreme effort to both be the narrator of his story and to actively listen in order to respond to his small audience's questions. He had to get his clues from both their spoken words, their face and their body language. He was giving his full attention to whoever was speaking. He understood more than ever now what his father truly meant. Yet, he was determined to keep trying.

Tom chose to recount to his audience one of the rare occasions when his parents took him to the beach. It was before any of the other siblings were born. Tom was four years old. He told them that it was their mother's birthday and she wanted for their father to take her on a picnic at the beach. Their father loved her. He could not deny her a thing. They went to a more secluded part of the cove where the Parker patriarch spent a good hour helping young Tom building a huge sandcastle with their mother watching them fondly enjoying her cool lemonade and fresh fruit. This picnic was one of Tom's most cherished and carefree memories.

Aside from the storytelling, the three of them also spotted all sorts of fish, crabs and small creatures. Henry knew all their names, which amazed both adults especially Tom.

Tom felt even more keenly now how he had never really listened to what his son's ramblings and stories in the past. He had dismissed them as childish gibberish and thought nothing of them. He finally realised that his son was a very clever boy indeed listening to him telling them about the names of each species and how he saw a huge crab on the beach the other day.

Henry told them how the crab was rushing to the water to avoid the heat as the book he was reading told him it would have done. He also told them of its vivid red colours, the way it was moving and how strong it looked.

His son was using words that were of a higher level than the other boys of his age. He knew that his son was devoted to his books but hearing the richness of his language blew him away. Henry may well be a small genius and he his own father did not even have a clue. He did not even help him reach his own future potential. What kind of a father did that make him? He was thoroughly ashamed of himself! He noted to spend more time with his son and find out what he was good at. He would start by reading to his children their bedtime story tonight.

The male members of the Parker family were not the only ones who were enjoying their time together. The ladies were having fun as well. Diana, Jenny and Alicia were busy building their sandcastle. Jenny and Alicia went back and forth to the sea to bring sea water to strengthen their castle's walls.

They were in the process of re-building a wall that kept falling when a shadow fell on them. Diana looked up startled to see Dr Levinson lifting his hat and bowing to all three of them politely.

Diana, who was secretly very pleased to see him. She had long concluded that he was very handsome indeed for a London specialist, blushed slightly and said, 'Good morning, Dr Levinson. Girls, say good morning to the doctor.'

Both Jenny and Alicia did so at their aunt's beckoning and exclaimed loudly, 'Doctor, help us fix this wall! It keeps falling!'

Dr Levinson asked permission from Diana who bowed her agreement. This done, he then sat down, wrapped up his sleeves and started helping the children with the said crumbling wall. All four of them, the two adults and the two children, worked on it dilligently until it was secure. Before they knew it, they had built the remaining walls and in record time a sturdy sandcastle greeted their eyes.

The girls were very excited at the sight of the completed sandcastle. They asked their aunt, 'Auntie Diana, we are hungry and thirsty. May we have some lemonade and some cake?'

Diana responded pleasantly, 'Of course you may girls. Sit on the blanket nicely, though'. She turned her attention to their guest and offered him some refreshments. Dr Levinson said, 'I would love some, Miss Parker. All this sandcastle building makes one very thirsty. Your nieces are right about that.'

Diana offered him then a piece of cake and some lemonade to enjoy. She even had some herself as she felt it would have been rude not to. Arthur was not the only one who was partial to sweet treats. She had a terrible sweet tooth herself even though she did not indulge often.

The girls decided to read for a bit and before long they fell asleep. Diana covered them with the other blanket and turned her attention to the doctor. It was truly the first time they were alone together outside Charlotte's sickroom.

Dr Levinson said, 'Miss Parker, I shall miss this fresh sea air and sunshine. London is simply not the place to be for that sort of thing.'

Diana was surprised at his statement, 'Dr Levinson, are you leaving us? How come?'

Dr Levinson noted the surprise and disappointment in her voice and secretly rejoiced. He responded, 'Well, Miss Parker, Lady Susan summoned me to Sanditon to take care of Miss Charlotte. I am meant to check upon her this afternoon to make sure she is completely on the mend. Your brother, Mr Sidney Parker, wanted me to do so. If her health is as good as I expect it to be, then I am to return to London next week. You see, I have closed my surgery there for two weeks, so I fear that my professional obligations there call me back.

As I said though, I will miss this town. It has been such a treat to be amongst such kind people and live so well for the past couple of weeks. London is a very dirty place, Miss Parker. Being healthy there is not as easy as it is here. I wish I could have had my surgery in a place like this. Dr Fuchs is an excellent doctor and he is very lucky to have his surgery in such a wholesome place as this.

I shall also miss the sea. I was born in Bournemouth and moving to London has taken me away from it. I am glad that I managed to enjoy it here. It has indeed been a very welcome respite from the grey clouds of our capital.'

Diana listened to him and wished she could somehow keep him here. She would like to speak more to him as she enjoyed the very few conversations that they have had so far. Dare she suggest it? Would Sidney mind? Why not? She had nothing to lose.

She looked at him and said, 'My brothers will start rebuilding the burnt houses next week, Dr Levinson. If you like it here, would Dr Fuchs mind if you joined him in Sanditon? I dare not presume, sir, but your London patients may even be cured by coming to us here.'

She blushed at her last comment and bent her head to hide her embarrassment. Dr Levinson was so pleased to hear this speech that he dared not shatter this moment. It was far too precious. He was totally smitten with Miss Diana. He dared not hope that she might return his regard. Her current suggestion was of course no proof of that. However, he wondered to himself, whether there was a slight chance that it might.

He put his thoughts aside and said aloud, 'Miss Parker, you are quite right about my patients. They would really benefit by coming here. Half their ailments are caused by the lack of exercise and fresh air.

I have considered it myself. Dr Fuchs is agreeable to me opening another surgery alongside with his if I wished to do so. We specialise on different ailments and ultimately the combination of our skills would benefit both the town's residents' and us. You cannot know what a pleasure it is, Miss Parker, to be able to bounce back ideas with another colleague. It is a true gift!

Do you think your brother, Mr Sidney Parker, would allow me to commission a house/surgery to be built for me? Should I ask him this afternoon?'

Diana was thrilled to hear this. She tried to restrain her joy, but her smile won out, 'You can but ask him, Dr Levinson. I see no reason why he would say no. Discuss it with him. It would be an honour to have you stay in this town.'

Dr Levinson returned her grin, 'I shall then, Miss Parker. May I be so bold and ask you another question?'

Diana nodded and looked at him expectantly. He said, 'I know we have not spoken a lot. You do not know me. However, I have been very impressed with you and I have admired you from afar ever since I arrived in your charming town. You are just the companion that would suit me. I would love to get to know you better and you to know me better. Would you consent to enter into a courtship with me? Whom should I ask for permission?'

She did not hesitate. She knew her response instantly. She simply looked at his brown expressive eyes and said, 'I would gladly let you court me, Dr Levinson. My brother Sidney is the best person to ask.'

He took her hand and kissed it gently. 'Thank you, Miss Parker. You have made me a very happy man today. May I call you Diana? My name is Theodore. I would be honoured if you called me with my first name when we are alone.'

Diana was so overwhelmed with happiness that she could only nod and say a simple, 'I will do. Yes, do call me Diana.' They exchanged wide smiles and went back to enjoying the sunshine with a full and happy heart. They were in public after all and Sidney has not been told of this new development yet.

The two girls woke up from their nap just then which effectively ended any courtship talk. Alicia had some more lemonade- she was always thirsty upon waking up and Jenny opted for a cuddle with her aunt as it was her habit to cuddle with the first adult on sight upon waking up either from a nap or in the mornings. It took little Jenny a little longer to wake up than Alicia. Dr Levinson could only admire how well Diana looked with Jenny in her arms. He had to speak to Mr Parker this afternoon. His future happiness depended upon it.

He smiled at the three of them, bid them goodbye and made his way to his hotel room. He had plans to make for a new surgery and potentially a new life with Diana should their courtship proceed as he expected it to do so.

Dr Levinson was on his way back to the hotel when Tom, Arthur and Henry made it to the spot where Diana and the girls were sitting down. The girls knew that it was the time for their swim. They jumped excitedly when they saw their father, their uncle and their brother approach them. Thus, the exchange of the guard of the picnic basket took place. The ladies went for their swim whilst Arthur attacked the buttered toast, Henry was given some cake to eat and Tom started on his apple. He loved starting his picnics with one as it reminded him of his mother. The three of also spent some time examining every inch of the built sandcastle in front of them. It was a marvel to look at!

Diana, on the one hand, was in a jubilant mood and this was passed on to her nieces. The two girls, on the other hand, did not know why, but they would rather have a happy auntie Diana than a complaining one. They did not like it when she fussed too much. It made her frown more. Therefore, they only looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and took things as they came.

They reached the bathing machines and changed into their bathing costumes. There were three assistants with them in lieu of the age of the girls. Alicia was five years old and Jenny was four. They were too young to be left by themselves in the sea. The Parker ladies enjoyed their swim immensely.

The Parker ladies were enjoying their time in the sea whilst the Parker brothers were struggling to say two words to each other. Poor young Henry who was now exhausted by his exertions in the sea earlier promptly fell asleep after his snack to the dismay of the adults.

This left the two brothers by themselves with nothing to say to each other. It has been a long time since they have been put in such a seemingly dead-end situation and both of them struggled- even the gregarious Arthur.

Arthur decided to be the brave one and ask the question that was in his mind ever since Tom told them the story earlier. He suddenly felt awkward asking such a question, but he really had nothing to lose. Tom would respond to him or not. Off he went and he asked, 'Tom, what were our parents like?'

Tom looked startled at the sudden question. He looked Arthur in the eye to ascertain the sincerity of the request and the gaze that met him was their mother's eyes. He never realised that Arthur had inherited her eyes. Oh, how he missed her!

He nodded and asked his brother for further clarification before responding to the actual question. His old self would normally respond in his normal enthusiastic way. Yet, this time he wanted to give Arthur a considered and proper response. He asked, 'Whom do you want me to tell you about first?'

Arthur clearly did not expect Tom to even indulge him let alone ask what he wanted to know. He was encouraged by the question, 'How about mother? What was she like? I was so small when she died that I only remember her smell. She always smelt of jasmine. Did she?'

Tom gave the first real smile that he had ever given to his youngest brother. Arthur instinctively knew that as he smiled back.

'Yes, she did smell of jasmine, Arthur. You have a good a memory. It was her favourite scent. I remember her asking our father for it at the beginning of every year. She always made the bottle last for a whole year, but alas to her ever-growing frustration, it would not last longer. She used it every day.

Did you know that you have her eyes? I am sorry I never told you before that you did. She had large expressive eyes like yours.'

Arthur grinned at his brother and said excitedly yet quietly in order not to wake Henry up, 'Really? That is great news! I always did wonder what I inherited from her. Anything else?'

Tom smiled slightly and said, 'You are as jovial and happy as she was. She got on with everybody and she also loved her buttered toast. She was also a very good listener. You have inherited that from her as well.'

Arthur was very pleased. He ventured to ask about their father next, 'And father? What was he like?' The moment he asked the question, he saw a sign of sadness in Tom's eyes. He could see that his brother wanted to tell him. Yet, it cost him a lot to do so.

Tom eventually looked at his brother and then straight ahead. He said in a flat voice, 'Our father was a good man. He was complicated. He worked most of the time. In truth, Arthur, I never understood him until the other day.'

Arthur was surprised at the last comment, 'What happened the other day, Tom?'

Tom hesitated before explaining further, 'I was looking through some of my paperwork in my room and I found a letter that he left for me. I never saw it before yesterday. I don't know why. I will give you all the letter to read. It is at home.

He claimed that he was as he was in order to protect all of us and especially me. Apparently, I was the one who was most like him and that we shared the same weaknesses. I have inherited my fault of losing myself in things and situations from him along with other ones such as hurting everyone around me. He was the same.'

The last words came out in a slight sob from Tom that did not escape Arthur. He was genuinely shocked. Even more shocked when he saw a single tear escape from Tom's right eye, which was quickly wiped away. He pretended not to notice.

He merely asked, 'What did he advise you to do?'

Tom has partly recovered his wits by the time Arthur's questions reached his ears. 'In a nutshell, he suggested that I pay attention to the people around me. To listen and to notice. To respect their feelings and wishes.'

Arthur eyed him sceptically and said, 'Have you tried yet?'

The response he received was full of hope, 'I have been trying since yesterday. I tried today. However, Arthur, I cannot tell when to try and when not to. Our father had the same problem. I hope to keep trying. My marriage depends upon this as well my relationship with all of you. I will need help if I am to succeed. I need to be reminded when I get lost in my own world. You need to make me listen when I refuse to do so.'

Tom looked beseechingly at his youngest brother. 'Will you help me, Arthur?'

Arthur bumped Tom's shoulder playfully and gave him a wide smile. 'Yes, Tom, we will help you if we see you make an honest effort to change your ways. Despite everything we do love you. You are just not the easiest person to either deal with or live with at the best of times. You are a truly frustrating person, brother dear!

Remember though no missteps. You are given the last chance to redeem yourself. My advice to you is for you not to waste it. You have a lot to make up for. More than you will ever know.'

Tom gave his youngest brother a watery smile and admitted aloud despite himself, 'You know, Arthur, I underestimated you. Never let me forget that I have done that. You did not deserve me ignoring you all these years. It was not fair. I will do better.

You have really inherited our mother's gift for being both authoritative and soothing at the same time. She was so good at that. Cherish that gift. It will get you to a better place than my inherited genes of ignoring everyone and everything.'

Arthur nodded slightly and responded with a wink, 'Don't worry, Tom. I will certainly remind you when you forget. That was a kind thing to say about mother. That I have this gift. It means a lot.'

The two brothers felt at peace for once. It was as if a black cloud was lifted from their souls bringing them closer together. They were not there yet. Not by far. The intention for a better understanding between them was there, though.

They spent the rest of the time watching Henry sleep, enjoying the sunshine and commenting on what the rest of the people were doing on the beach. Arthur started teaching Tom how to observe, really and truly observe what was going on around him. He started his training both on observation and how to properly eat seed cake. That had to be fixed! There was an art to it and Tom just had to master it if that was the last thing he did!

Diana and the girls found them giggling at one holiday maker's gaff in falling in the sea with his clothes. They were in stitches with laughter. They joined them in laughter straight away as well once they realised what they were laughing about. Even sleepy young Henry joined in.

The merry group eventually quietened down and made their way to Trafalgar House at one in the afternoon after spending a thoroughly enjoyable morning at the beach. Each adult had to carry each child as the poor little mites have had enough by then. They were ready for a rest at the nursery and a bit of pampering from their nurse.


	13. The Sanditon Committee is born

Lady Denham woke up on this Friday morning feeling a nervous energy around her. She knew that it was going to be an eventful day. She could feel it in her bones- just like when she can tell when it is going to rain. The only thing that she did not know was whether the outcome of today's events would be to her liking or not. Yet, she had no inkling that it would be a terrible day.

She has had two lovely weeks so far. Her niece Lady Babington and her husband have been staying with her. She enjoyed every minute of that visit despite her constant grumbling. She could tell that neither of them took her seriously from the cheeky and knowing smiles they exchanged. They knew that she appreciated their company despite all her superficial complaints.

Lady Denham liked them both, but she especially liked her niece Esther. She marvelled at how well and happy her niece looked. She had been a lucky girl marrying Lord Babington. He loved her dearly and she thrived on it. She deserved a bit of happiness after that rascal Edward nearly ruined her. Oh, she was still furious just thinking about that reprobate!

She forced herself to relax. Esther told her that they were expecting visitors for tea. She promised her that Miss Charlotte Heywood and her family would be visiting her. She smiled at that. She liked Charlotte. She had been worried about her when she was unwell and in the throes of her coma. The relief that she felt when she was told that the girl was awake and thriving again was indescribable. She was also looking forward to meeting Charlotte's mother and sister. A mother who has borne eleven children! Listen to that! She must an eminently sensible person.

She did not have to wait long. Her guests were announced at nine thirty on the dot. She was astonished though at who entered her grand drawing room! She glanced at Esther and Lord Babington who were in the main sitting room with her for any reaction of surprise concerning the identity of the guests. She realised that they have set her up. Oh, that niece of hers! She had instinctively known that her aunt was going to cause trouble. Yet, the esteemed entrance of Lady Susan Worcester would prevent her from even trying. Well, Lady Denham thought, so be it. Let us see what this new visit brings to spice up this old lady's monotonous days!

All the formalities of a visit were performed. Lord Babington introduced the new ladies that Lady Denham had not met yet. Lady Susan was introduced to her. Lady Denham knew that Lady Susan would suffer no fools- she would keep an eye on that one. She then met Charlotte's mother and sister. The first thought that came to her was how pleasant and genteel they were. What really surprised her though to see Mrs Mary Parker and Mr Sidney Parker at her doorstep. The Parkers have not visited since the fire broke out.

What she also found most intriguing was how Sidney and Charlotte shone in each other's presence and how well colour-coordinated their clothes were. It instinctively reminded her of her first love- oh, what a handsome devil that man was. Yes, she would bet half her fortune, that Sidney and Charlotte were either in a courtship or that an engagement would be announced soon.

The maid brought in the tea and Esther offered everyone a cup along with some cake. The people in the room fell into groups. Sidney and Lord Babington started a discussion on the latest going ons in the Sanditon project. Esther engaged Mrs Heywood, Lady Susan and Alison in conversation following her inclination to get to know them better. Lady Denham conversed with Charlotte and Mary.

Lady Denham took her chance to congratulate Charlotte on her good health. Charlotte looked for a moment at Mary who nodded encouragingly and proceeded to say to Lady Denham.

'Lady Denham, I wanted to thank you for your kind attention to me when I was unwell. It was very kind of you to ask them to send me the milk. It made quite the difference in my recovery.'

Lady Denham gave Charlotte her best smile, the one that unfortunately came out as a sarcastic smirk. 'That was my pleasure, Miss Heywood. We were very worried about your health when you were poorly. We wanted you to recover as soon as possible.'

She then went on speaking and winked at the girl, 'I gather Mr Sidney Parker had a lot to do with that recovery, did he not?'

Charlotte went bright red and Mary grinned slightly. Sidney was also momentarily shaken when he heard Lady Denham's comment. That was confirmation enough for Lady Denham. She was right!

'Lady Denham, I ….Well, yes. He has been instrumental in my recovery. I will tell you this in confidence. We are in courtship, but we will not announce it until we speak to my father. You see, Lady Denham, both my father and siblings are to join us in Sanditon on Monday this week.' Charlotte then went on to tell her about who was coming and when.

Sidney, who was paying attention to both his conversation with his friend and to Charlotte's response, smiled widely at Charlotte's comment. That smile earned him a wink and a nudge from Lord Babington.

The grand lady smiled at Charlotte's response, 'Well, then more congratulations are in order then, Miss Heywood. That is excellent news. Your secret is safe with me. I will also look forward to meeting the rest of your family next week.'

She then addressed Mary Parker, 'It is good to see you again, Mrs Parker. How come your husband has not joined you today? Is he hiding from me?'

Mary smirked slightly and then stated, 'No, Lady Denham, he is not in any sort of hiding place. He has been spending more time with our children. Miss Diana, Mr Arthur Parker and my husband are currently enjoying the seaside. The children were very keen to go swimming today due to the incredibly fair weather we were having.'

Lady Denham was pleased to hear the news. She liked Mary Parker. She was a sensible woman and being married to Mr Tom Parker must be quite the trial. She sensed a new sense of purpose in Mary Parker's air. She seemed more secure and confident in herself.

'Swimming sounds like a good idea for today. It has been a fine day so far.'

This last comment of Lady Denham caught Sidney and Lady Susan's attention who glanced at each other and gave each other a slight nod. It was time to act. Sidney then announced, 'Lady Denham, would you give us some of your time in order to give you an update on the Sanditon reconstruction?'

Lady Denham turned her shrewd eyes at Mr Sidney Parker and responded, 'I would be delighted to hear any update that you wish to give me.' She then got up and said, 'Please follow me to my study.' Thus, the lady led her guests to the said room.

She did not expect though to find Lord Babington, Lady Susan and Mary Parker in the same room along with Sidney Parker. She bid them sit down and looked at them expectantly. Sidney gave Lady Denham a summarised version of the events and his doings in London. Lady Susan then took up the baton to fill in the gaps concerning the Regent's investment in Sanditon. Mary spoke after Lady Susan and mentioned her husband's role in this.

Sidney sensed his sister-in-law's embarrassment in explaining and continued by saying that Tom would be taken off the planning of project and work on the burnt houses instead. He explained that the news would be broken to Tom tomorrow morning. He also continued by saying that the management of the project would be shared by Lady Susan as the regent's representative, himself, Arthur, Diana and Mary as well as Lady Denham should she desire to do so. He took the paperwork from his side jacket pocket and gave them to Lady Denham to read. She took them and Sidney further explained that this is the paperwork that needed to be signed.

Lady Susan, Mary and Lord Babington did not speak during Sidney's explanation. When he finished, Lord Babington also put in his piece by expressing both his and Esther's support of the project and their intention of investing in it. A remark that made Lady Denham lift her right eyebrow so high that it nearly reached the top of her forehead. She thought to herself that wonders would never cease today. This project might just earn her the permanent presence of her niece and new nephew. That was great news!

The group in the study waited nervously whilst Lady Denham read through the documents and examined the insurance certificate very carefully. She did not speak to the group straight away. She took some moments to think.

She addressed Mr Sidney Parker, 'Can you guarantee me that Mr Tom Parker will not have access to any of the funds for this project for the foreseeable future and that you, Mr Sidney Parker, would administer those funds along with Lady Susan?'

Sidney smiled for the first time until they came in the study 'Yes, Lady Denham, my brother will no longer be at the helm.'

Lady Susan also said, 'I can also confirm that as well, Lady Denham. That was one of the main conditions of the Regent's investment. Mr Tom Parker was not to be a part of this project.'

Lady Denham breathed a sigh of relief and gave them a smile, a real smile that neither of them had ever seen before. Not even Lord Babington. 'In that case, I would be delighted to sign the agreement. I see that all of you have already signed it apart from me. I shall do so straight away.'

So, she did. The Sanditon committee has been officially founded. Lady Denham was now in her administrative mood asking question after question about the new investors that were to join them in Sanditon. Sidney told the group that they had promised to send him a telegram with the exact date and time they would arrive next week. He would send a message to Lady Denham once he received their update so that she could join them at the meeting next week.

Lady Denham also spent some time talking to Lady Susan. She discovered to her surprise that she could have an intelligent conversation with her. She thought to herself that she would enjoy working with her on this project.

Whilst the Sanditon committee was being formed in Lady Denham's study, Esther was catching up with Mrs Heywood, Alison and Charlotte. They had a charming catch up on what Esther had been doing and how Charlotte's health had been. Charlotte assured her that she was recovering nicely.

Esther was feeling rather mischievous and said, 'I am sure that you have been. How is Mr Sidney Parker doing these days? What a coordination in colours!'

Charlotte blushed for the second time today, 'Lady Babington..'

Esther smiled, 'Esther, please, Charlotte.'

Charlotte smiled back, 'Esther, then, Mr Parker is very well.' Mrs Heywood and Alison smiled at each other, but they did not contribute in the conversation. They knew that Charlotte felt awkward acknowledging a courtship that has not been acknowledged by her father yet. She would feel more comfortable about it next week.

The ladies' conversation did not go much further than that as Lady Denham and the rest of the company entered the room. Charlotte temporarily forgot that she had to be careful about her courtship with Sidney. The first thing she did when he entered the room was to lock eyes with him. He gave her a wide smile and nodded. She could breathe much more easily now. He was telling that everything was in place for the Sanditon committee.

Their silent communication did not go unnoticed by anybody. Yet, not a soul commented upon it. Not even the outspoken Lady Denham. She was happy for them both and she did not feel like torturing those two loving souls. She wished them every happiness after all the heartbreak that they have already suffered. She instead suggested a walk by the cliffs in order to enjoy the lovely day. The whole group accepted her suggestion with enthusiasm.

Thus, you could find our merry group walking from Sanditon House towards the cliffs within ten minutes from Lady Denham's suggestion. They divided into several different groups.

Lord and Lady Babington were walking with Alison. It gave Lord Babington the chance to speak to Charlotte's sister for a bit. He concluded that she was a very intelligent young lady just from speaking to her for a little while. He also observed that his wife really liked her as she was making the effort to engage Alison in conversation. He was really pleased to see this. He did sometimes worry that his wife did not have any close friendships. It took her some time to warm towards other people. It really gladdened his heart to see that changing.

The three matrons, Lady Denham, Lady Susan and Mrs Heywood, grouped together. Lady Denham positioned herself between Mrs Heywood and Lady Susan. She engaged Mrs Heywood in conversation asking about the Heywood family. Mrs Heywood, who sorely missed her husband and the rest of her children, was more than happy to tell both Lady Denham and Lady Susan what they wished to know. She waxed lyrical about her children and their interests, their tenants and the Heywood home. She even told her about her Captain Wentworth.

Both ladies were keen listeners. Getting to know the Heywood family better was at the top of their priorities for different reasons. Lady Susan wanted to know as many things as possible about Captain Wentworth's family and Lady Denham was genuinely interested in getting to know them better. She marvelled at their grace and she was looking forward to meeting the rest of them next week.

This left Sidney, Charlotte and Mary walking together. Sidney offered one arm to Charlotte and the other one to his sister-in-law. Between them they told Charlotte what happened in the study and what was discussed. She was an avid listener and she lapped up all the information like a thirsty dog drinking from his bowl of water. Her bright eyes and flushed cheeks as she listened to their tale made Sidney's mind wander in other directions that he dared not disclose in the presence of Mary. They could wait until later when he was alone with her.

They continued their walk until they reached the end of the cliff path which forced them to make their way back to Sanditon House. It was a very pleasant walk back to the grand house. They got back just before twelve in the afternoon. Sidney and the rest of the group said their goodbyes to Lady Denham and the Babingtons and they headed towards the Parker carriage. Not before their hosts invited themselves to tea at Trafalgar House next week.

The Parker carriage reached Trafalgar House within a quarter of an hour. They saw that the children and other Parker siblings have not returned from the seaside yet.

Mary excused herself from her guests in order to make the necessary arrangements for the family meeting tomorrow. She was beyond relieved that the Sanditon committee has now been formed and that everything was in order from the respect. She dreaded telling all this to her husband. She had to make sure that all the servants were out of the house until dinner time tomorrow. Therefore, she asked the footman to summon all the members of staff in the kitchen. When they were all there, she announced that she was giving all of them Saturday as a paid day off until dinner time. Their happy cheers warmed her heart.

In the meantime, the rest of the party was resting in the sitting room. They did not have to wait long for another visitor to arrive though. Dr Levinson chose this time to visit his patient. His visit did not surprise either Charlotte or Sidney, but the rest of the party was certainly surprised.

The doctor bowed his greeting to the room and addressed his patient, 'Miss Charlotte, is it a convenient time for your check-up? I have been asked to check up on you.'

Charlotte rolled her eyes at Sidney, who gave her his best pleading puppy-dog look, and answered her doctor's question, 'Yes, Dr Levinson, it is. Mama, will you come with me?'.

This left Alison, Lady Susan and Sidney in the sitting room. Only when Charlotte and her mother left the room, did Alison ask Sidney, 'Mr Parker, you are a wonder. How did you convince Charlotte to voluntarily see a doctor? She abhors them and avoids them like the plague.'

Sidney smirked and said, 'It took a bit of persuasion, Miss Alison, but I won out on this occasion.'

Lady Susan remarked and winked at him, 'I am sure you were very persuasive, Mr Parker. In truth, I am glad you convinced her because I seriously doubt she would have listened to any of us. She is well at present, but it does not hurt to check that she is completely well.'

Sidney nodded his head, 'Exactly, Lady Susan. That was what I thought myself. Charlotte would like to spend most of her time outdoors from now on. Checking that she is completely well will do her no harm.'

There was yet another interruption to the household, though. A messenger delivered a message for Sidney. He seemed to be expecting it. He read it briefly and put it in his jacket pocket. The ladies looked at him with interest. He said it was a message from the investors. They are going to arrive on Tuesday morning at ten.

Lady Susan asked, 'Where are we to meet them?'

Sidney retorted, 'I was to book the sitting room at the hotel for the day. The hotel could provide us with refreshments for the day. Would you meet the investors with me, Lady Susan? Shall we also ask Mr Stringer and Lady Denham to join us?'

'Yes, I would be delighted to join you in that meeting, Mr Parker. I do agree with you about inviting Mr Stringer and Lady Denham. Mr Stringer should bring his architectural plans for the rebuild with him to show them seeing that we cannot show them a completely-finished building.'

'I will tell him on Sunday then, Lady Susan. I am meeting up with him in order to pay the labourers. I am also to see the designs that he has been working on.'

Alison was fascinated by this conversation. She was pleased to hear how well they thought of Mr Stringer. She would really like to call him hers. She sighed internally that she would have to keep waiting until he declared himself.

Both Sidney and Lady Susan looked at each other meaningfully after observing Alison's face in rapt attention when Mr Stringer's name was mentioned. They nodded at each other. This made Sidney even more determined to speak to the gentleman on Sunday. If he was able to find his happiness with Charlotte, why should Alison not find hers with Mr Stringer.

The conversation did not dry up for long. Dr Levinson entered the sitting room. He said, 'Miss Alison, your sister and mother want to speak to you.'

Alison departed. Dr Levinson did not though. He seemed nervous. Sidney was in high alert thinking that something was wrong with Charlotte. He asked the doctor outright, 'What is the matter, Dr Levinson? How is Miss Charlotte?'

Dr Levinson realised that his nervousness about speaking to Diana's brother about the courtship led the gentleman to fear for Miss Charlotte.

'Mr Parker, I am sorry to have worried you. Miss Charlotte is hale and healthy. Her condition is not gone. However, providing she is kept well and happy, then she will be fine. I am nervous about another two issues that I wish to discuss with you.'

Lady Susan went to leave the room to give them some privacy, but Dr Levinson stopped her departure by saying. 'You are welcome to stay, Lady Susan. You might find one of my requests very surprising.' The words made her wonder, so she sat back down. Dr Levinson's words puzzled Sidney exceedingly.

Dr Levinson proceeded with his requests, 'My first request is this, Mr Parker. I would like to ask your permission to court your sister, Miss Diana. I spoke to her earlier today and she accepted me. She mentioned that I could ask for your blessing.

I will admit to you that I am smitten with her. I believe it was love at first sight when I first saw her. I do not know her feelings for me.

You see, sir, I have also come to appreciate her as a person when she was caring for Miss Charlotte. Doctors lead a tough life in many ways. It is difficult to find the person that could share a doctor's life. However, I sensed that I found her in your sister. She is patient, caring and she has a good head on her shoulder. I only want to get to know her better and she to get to know me better.

My second request is closely related to my courtship request. I originally come from Bournemouth, sir. I grew up near the seaside, but I moved to London to practise. I will freely admit that despite my professional success at our capital city, I have never enjoyed living there. It is the most stressful and unhealthy city to live in. Having had the chance to spend some time in your lovely town, I have come to realise that I would really enjoy a change of scenery and a healthier lifestyle.

Therefore, apart from my respectful request for courtship with your sister, I would like to commission the building of a house/surgery in Sanditon. The funds are available for the building to start straight away. I can transfer them to you as soon as you need them. I have already spoken with Dr Fuchs about my intention of practicing at the same time as himself in your town. He was delighted with the idea as we worked well together during Miss Charlotte's illness.

I will still keep my surgery open in London. I can travel there when it is necessary. I dare say that my decision to move to Sanditon will encourage some of my patients to visit me here instead.

I will have to go back to London for three days next week. I will then return to Sanditon on Thursday next week to speak with your architect about the location and design of my house providing you agree with my request.'

Dr Levinson looked at his audience in anticipation like an eager puppy waiting for the ball to be thrown at him. His audience, Lady Susan and Sidney, were thoroughly stunned at first both how much the normally shy doctor could speak and on the requests themselves.

Sidney was the first to recover. 'Mr Levinson, I am in truth surprised by your requests. To start with iet us speak firstly about your courtship request. I will of course have to speak to my sister about this before I give my consent. However, do rest assured that this is not a negative response to you courting Diana. I merely wish to make sure that this is what she really wants. We could revisit this topic upon your return from London.

With respect to your second request, we would be delighted to accommodate your request for a house. What do you think, Lady Susan?'

Lady Susan had luckily recovered from her surprise by the time Sidney addressed her, 'Mr Parker, I would agree with you. Dr Levinson, we would be more than happy for you to commission a house/surgery here. In fact, I will be joining you as I have been having the same thoughts. London is an exhausting place to live all the time and being here in Sanditon for just part of the year would help my spirits immensely. So, Mr Parker, Mr Stringer will get to build a house for me as well.'

Sidney felt like a child opening his presents on Christmas day. There he was worrying in London how new investors would be found. He needn't have worried at all. The commissions from Dr Levinson and Lady Susan would keep them going for the time being and the financial support of his friend Babbers would open more doors in future.

Sidney smiled at both Lady Susan and Dr Levinson, 'That is wonderful news. Miss Charlotte will be delighted to hear of your plans, Lady Susan. How soon did you both want your houses to be ready? We would need at least a month or so to rebuild the burnt flats. You could meet with Mr Stringer and consult with him on how you wish your houses to look.'

Dr Levinson responded first, 'I am no rush Mr Parker. However, I feel it would be nice to have moved to Sanditon by September. Being in London from September onwards is one of the most depressing places to be.'

Lady Susan followed up on that and said, 'Dr Levinson, I could not agree with you more. Yes, September would work well for me as well.'

Sidney thank them both wholeheartedly. He made a mental note to respond to the two other investors and send it off via messenger later on today. He should also send a message to Mr Stringer concerning the new commissions, ask him to provide the preliminary drawings for them and invite him to the investor's meeting. Lady Denham should be informed of it as well.


	14. Alison's confession

It seems that Mr Stringer was not only in the minds of the occupants of the sitting room but on the minds of the Heywood ladies. Alison's mother and sister thought it was about time to have that conversation with her.

Alison herself did not suspect that this discussion would take place so soon. She hoped to keep her feelings safely hidden until the gentleman declared himself to her. Alas she would not get her wish to be spared from her mother and sister's prying questions.

Alison walked into Charlotte's bedroom to find her sister on her favourite love seat at the corner of the room reading aloud a poem called 'The Hidden Love' to their mother. Alison recognised the book as the one Mr Sidney Parker had given her sister.

The Hidden Love by Bikramjyoti Kashyop

Passion burning deep in my heart  
Wishing that we were never apart  
Coming together hand in hand  
Melted and pressed as grains of sand  
Shaping a most beautiful pane of glass  
Etchings abound and trimmed with brass  
A beautiful display wanting all to see  
Remains hidden and sheltered only for me.

Both ladies looked up as Alison walked in and smiled at her. Their mother bid her come and sit with them which she did. She liked listening to Charlotte when she was reading as she missed it when she was unwell. They listened to the end of the poem together. Then both Mrs Heywood and Charlotte looked at Alison.

Alison felt their enquiring glances and knew her time was up. They would ask her about it. She decided to postpone it by saying: 'Well, what is it?'

Mrs Heywood smiled at her second daughter mischievously.

'Allie, come on tell us. We have seen how both you and Mr Stringer look at each other. You never know. We might be able to help you.'

Charlotte urged her sister further, 'Yes, please do Allie.'

The concerted plea of both of her mother and sister won out. She could not really deny much to either of them especially when Charlotte pled with her big brown eyes. She sighed aloud, slumped back at her seat resignedly and said, 'Well, yes, I admire Mr Stringer very much. We have had several interesting conversations. I think he is a very clever and handsome man whom I would love to get to know better. However, I do not know what to do. He seems happy to speak to me. Yet, whenever it gets to the point when he might declare himself, he then gets all nervous and shy. I don't know how to encourage him.'

She felt the relief engulf her the moment that she uttered the words. Alison did not realise how much her secret admiration of Mr Stringer had weighed upon her until she had confessed it to her family. It would be good to be able to talk to one of them in the future.

Mrs Heywood, who was sitting next to Alison, hugged her daughter and Charlotte squeezed her sister's hand affectionately. She knew what Alison was feeling and how bad it felt. Her sister must be especially frustrated with all the wait. She was pleased that she spoke to Sidney about it. He may be able to get Mr Stringer to declare himself to her sister.

Mrs Heywood said, 'Oh, Allie, I wish you had spoken to us earlier. Carrying this burden by yourself must have been exhausting. Would it help if we invited Mr Stringer to a picnic when your father and siblings arrive?'

Alison brightened up immediately. 'Will you mama? Please, please do!'

Mrs Heywood pinched her daughter's cheek affectionately and retorted, 'Well, then, we shall. It will be fine. We will make sure to give both Mr Stringer and you some time to talk. You will be supervised as well, so there will be no fear of a compromise.'

Charlotte also said, 'Sidney will help as well. He is to meet Mr Stringer on Sunday and he will gauge his interest in you. We want you to be happy, Allie. You do deserve it.'

Alison hugged both her mother and sister tightly and kissed them on the cheek. 'Oh, I am a lucky girl! I should have spoken to you earlier about it. I am sorry I didn't. I will do so from now on, though.'

The three Heywood ladies were once again in harmony. Charlotte picked another poem and read to both Alison and Mrs Heywood.

Mrs Heywood cherished this opportunity to bond with her two oldest daughters as spending this quality time with them would be rendered difficult once her husband and the rest of her children arrived. She would be spread too thin and she would need to give each of her children her equal attention. However, she aimed to give the lion share of her attention to her husband. She had missed him very much and she was really looking forward to seeing him once again.

Alison felt lucky in her family. She knew that not all families were as supportive as theirs was. She also sensed that spending time with their mother as they did right now was going to be difficult once their siblings arrived next week. Therefore, this was a precious moment for all three of them. Thus, they spent the next hour or so being serenaded by Charlotte's melodious voice.

In the meantime, Mr Stringer's ears must have been burning as he started feeling all restless and fidgety.

He was at his house working on the architectural plans for the terrace. He has been working on them on and off from the beginning of the week. He was satisfied with them. He only had to make some adjustments on the door measurements, and they would be ready for Mr Sidney's inspection on Sunday.

The plans were, of course, important. However, he really used them as an excuse to keep himself busy from thinking of Miss Alison. He cursed himself for being so shy. Why, oh, why did he hesitate from speaking his mind to her last time? Why was it so difficult?

He knew his own feelings by now. He thought that he had loved Miss Charlotte. He knew now that he never did. She was his friend. Charlotte did not generate the same feelings of anxiety and misery that his feelings with Alison did. Yet, what stopped him was whether she felt the same or not. He wanted to ask her. Every time he tried, he got tongue tied and kept silent.


	15. The Heywoods' good fortune

The turmoil in Sanditon was about to increase as three travelling coaches from Willingden approached the seaside town. The time for the rest of the Heywood family to visit the seaside has finally arrived.

Mr Heywood did tell his wife that they were to arrive on Monday. That was his plan. However, the excitement of his children to visit their sisters and mother took over and he conceded to them leaving on Friday afternoon instead of Monday and spend the weekend at the beach as a family. It also helped that Frederick and his fiancée Anne Elliot were to come with them.

The Heywood children have always liked their cousin Frederick. The moment they met Anne Elliot, they also liked her instantly as well. She played with them, indulged their whims, but she was firm with them when they misbehaved.

He marvelled on how much has happened in such a short time. Charlotte's illness, the absence of his wife and Alison in Sanditon, David Wentworth's death at the West Indies, the will. It was such a whirl!

It was a godsend that Frederick brought Mr Thompson, who also happened to be the Parkers solicitor. This gentleman told him that David Wentworth, who was childless, left his fortune of £130,000 to the Heywood family. He died in an accident in West Indies a year ago, but the news only reached Frederick last month.

He left £10,000 to Mr Heywood with instructions to use the amount for repairs in both the Heywood home and the tenants' homes. David left a comment in his will for Mr Heywood 'James Heywood, use the money I am leaving you to fix that rickety and noisy house of yours. I could not hear myself think when I was last there!'. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the comment did make everyone giggle. It was true. The homestead needed repairs that were always postponed due to the lack of funds.

David also left £10,000 to Mrs Heywood to be used at her discretion. Mr Heywood arranged with Mr Thompson for the amount to be put in a savings account for her. He was relieved that she would have something to live upon if anything happened to him. The fact that he could not provide his wife with that security had worried him for a long time.

David also left £10,000 for each child. Mr Heywood got Mr Thompson to open a savings account for each child and put the amount on there. It was reassuring that his daughters and sons would have the chance of a bright future.

What really shocked Mr Heywood though, was how much David Wentworth valued Charlotte. He knew that he was always delighted to tell her his stories. She loved her uncle David and she also loved his stories. He knew that the death of her uncle would hit her hard.

He only hoped that her health would not be affected. He would need to speak to Mr Sidney Parker before telling her as he would need his help to keep her healthy. His wife said in her letters that him and Charlotte were in love and that he was very good for her. Mr Heywood fully expected to be asked a very particular question upon his arrival in Sanditon, a fact which made his heart very heavy indeed! He would miss his eldest child.

Her uncle left her an extra £10,000 to open a school and a library. A task that his daughter would be delighted to do as the lack of both has worried her for a while. Her family knew this and it seems that her uncle David did as well.

It was amazing how many things can be resolved with a bit of capital. It was a pleasure for him as a landowner to have the funds to hire a competent steward. He was the former steward of the Darcy family and he came highly recommended by Mr Darcy himself. Mr Heywood recognised that he was getting older. Having the help of the steward, who was younger and had more energy to burn, would help him run the estate, increase its profit and spend more time with his family. He breathed a sigh of relief for that alone.

He was also relieved that he could start the repairs to the house and the tenants' cottages. They would take a week or so to complete. It gave him pleasure that he could provide employment to the young lads in the village and get them to fix everything before he brought back his whole family to Willingden. He instructed the workers to repair and paint the house. His neighbour was also to help the maid replace the curtains and mend the furniture.

He also wrote his will who was drafted by Mr Thompson with Frederick Wentworth and Anne Elliot as witnesses. It made him feel better having that done.

Mr Heywood knew that he was not a rich man in financial terms despite this sudden inheritance. He was rich in the sense of having a wonderful family and a loving wife. That was what mattered to him. However, having the peace of mind that his estate was taken care of and that his wife and children would be provided for, was wonderful.

He hoped that he would improve the finances of the estate with the help of the steward and get it to earn more than the current £9,000 per year. It would not hurt and it would keep the villagers of Willingden at work for years to come. The Heywood family did after all have the obligation to help their community to the best of their ability.

It was also wonderful that he could now afford to take the whole family with him on holiday. This was how the idea to visit Sanditon came about. The workers confirmed that the repairs would be completed much sooner without having the family around. Thus, he took a leap of faith and asked Mr Thompson to book them three carriages, six hotel rooms at the town's hotel and order provisions for the journey.

He did think about writing to his wife about arriving today. However, he wanted to surprise her- she loved surprises! He has missed her and his daughters very much. He was looking forward to seeing them and meet this Mr Sidney Parker who was to prize his Charlotte away from him.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard his children's loud exclamations that they could see the sea. They were approaching to their destination. He was excited as well. He did love the seaside, but he simply did not have the capital to indulge on a holiday there in past. He now did and he was proud to be able to provide this to his children.

His children were divided in two separate carriages. Emily and one of the nurses were in one them with Laura, Ben, Gina and Beth. Emily was very good with the youngest children and she would keep them entertained throughout the journey. However, Christian was better with Thomas, Mary and Michael. Mr Heywood hoped that his son would keep the boys and Mary occupied with the help of the other nurse. The third carriage carried Mr Thompson, Mr Heywood, Miss Anne Eliot, her maid and Mr Frederick Wentworth.


	16. The Heywood reunion

The carriages finally entered the town and stopped in front of the hotel. It was at that same time that Mr Heywood was coming out of the carriage that he was spotted by Mr Tom Parker, Diana and Arthur.

'Mr Heywood, what a surprise. It is good to see you sir.'

Mr Heywood smiled at his former guest and took his hat off to greet him. 'Mr Parker, that is a fortuitous meeting indeed. How are you, sir?'

'Very well, very well. Allow me to introduce you to my sister Diana and my brother Arthur. Arthur is holding my son Henry, Diana my daughter Alicia and I am holding my daughter Jenny. We have spent the day at the beach and they got tired.'

Mr Heywood bowed and greeted Diana and Arthur, 'It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Diana and Mr Arthur Parker. May I introduce my companions? This is our cousin Mr Frederick Wentworth and his fiancee Miss Anne Eliot. I believe that you already know Mr Thompson.'

Tom Parker was stunned at seeing the family solicitor here in Sanditon, but tried his best to hide it. However, Mr Thompson who knew his client was not deceived. He made a mental note to contact Mr Sidney as soon as possible. 'It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr Wentworth and Miss Eliot.' Diana and Arthur also expressed their pleasure at the introduction.

Mr Heywood then called his children and they were introduced to the newcomers. 'Mr Parkers and Miss Diana, these are the rest of my children. He then presented Emily, Christian, Thomas, Mary, Michael, Laura, Ben, Gina and Beth, who very politely bowed. The younger ones then were collected by the nurses and that left only Emily standing next to her father.

The Heywood children

Charlotte- 20 years old

Alison – 18 years old

Emily- 17 years old

Christian – 15 years old

Thomas- 13 years old

Mary- 12 years old

Michael – 10 years old

Laura – 8 years old

Ben – 7 years old

Gina – 6 years old

Beth – 4 years old

Emily was as tall as Charlotte and Alison with the same Heywood features and dark hair. However, she had inherited her blue eyes from the Wentworth side of the family, which made her a very beautiful lady with stunning looks and even better manners.

Arthur was struck at her beauty and kept staring at her like a fool. He suddenly understood what Sidney meant when he spoke about the first time that he saw Charlotte. It seems that the Heywood family has just claimed another Parker man. He was determined to speak to her and get to know her better.

Diana was flustered. He knew that Dr Levinson was handsome but the Adonis in front her was a revelation. Mr Wentworth was a sight to behold. His blonde hair and blue eyes on his chiselled and handsome face took her breath away. The fact that his clothes fitted him extremely well added to the whole effect. It seems that she was not the only one. All the ladies of the town seemed to be ogling this extremely handsome man, who took it all in his stride and gave his fiancée his sole attention.

Tom somehow recovered from his surprise and invited Mr Heywood, his companions and Mr Thompson for tea at Trafalgar House. Mr Heywood asked Emily to fetch the children as they would be keen to see their sisters and mother. Emily was no less keen, so she literally ran to get her siblings and their nurses. They arrived promptly and the whole group set forth for Trafalgar House.

Sanditon was stunned by this entourage. The rumours spread like wildfire when it was said that this was Miss Charlotte's family. What a handsome and well-behaved family it was! No wonder Miss Charlotte, Miss Alison and Mrs Heywood were so refined. The family had no false airs either. What a lovely addition to their town.

They reached the house in a matter of minutes. The nurses came to get the Parker children to the nursery and one of the maids went to fetch the mistress and the Heywood ladies.

The reunion of the Heywood family was noisy. The moment Mrs Heywood, Charlotte and Alison were told who was downstairs, they rushed to meet them. The younger children swarmed around their sisters and mother vying for their attention. Mrs Heywood had tears in her eyes from the joy of seeing them all again. Charlotte and Alison were suffocated by hugs from their siblings.

Mr Heywood waited patiently until their children quietened down a bit. He knew that Charlotte and Alison would keep them busy so that their parents would greet each other. Mrs Heywood approached her husband and gave him a radiant smile, 'Oh, Mr Heywood, how have I missed you! This is the loveliest surprise!'.

He responded by kissing his wife's cheek and whispering in her ear, 'I have missed you more than you know, my lovely wife. We can talk later.' She blushed at that comment. A fact that did not escape neither her husband nor any other adult's attention in the room.

Charlotte and Alison then joined their parents. Mr Heywood had tears in his eyes when he beheld his eldest child, 'Oh, Charlotte, how good it is to see you again. Are you well, my child?'

Charlotte hugged her father and said, 'I am papa. They have taken good care of me.' He then turned his attention to Alison and greeted her as well.

Only then did the ladies realise that there were more people in the room. The noise of the introductions meant that the Mr Sidney Parker, Dr Levinson and Lady Susan ventured from the sitting room with Mary standing next to them. Tom, Arthur and Diana were also in the room as well as their cousin Frederick and a lady whom they have not met yet.

Mrs Heywood, Charlotte and Alison greeted their cousin and were introduced to Miss Eliot. All three blushed fiercely when Frederick spoke to them and complimented them on how well they looked. The sight of Charlotte blushing at the presence of another man, made Sidney mad with jealousy. He knew that she was his, but this did not reassure him a lot. He would need to get to know this Frederick.

Dr Levinson was not so pleased either. His Diana was blushing like a schoolgirl at the sight of this newcomer.

Lady Susan was stunned and could not say a word. Here he was at last! Her Frederick! She begged him in her mind to lift his eyes and look at her. He did and he locked eyes with her for a full minute. This did not go unnoticed either by Anne or by Charlotte. Anne tried to get Frederick's attention, but when he did, he sounded strange and he was mumbling half responses to her. She would ask him about it later.

Charlotte decided to break the deadlock by introducing Mary, Sidney, Lady Susan and Dr Levinson to the rest of the group. Sidney was petrified just looking at Charlotte's father and Mr Heywood looked with interest at her daughter's suitor.

A red-cheeked Mary, who had just been introduced to Frederick, invited her guests to the sitting room for tea. Tom saw her reaction and he also knew why she reacted like that. She used to do that when they first courted. He was cursing this Frederick whoever he was.

Sidney made his way over to Mr Thompson and introduced him to Lady Susan. Mr Thompson then found his chance to briefly mention his concerns about Tom. Sidney asked him to come to Trafalgar House at nine in the morning and that all would be explained. This verbal exchange between Sidney and Mr Thompson for once was noticed by Tom. He knew now that something was going on. His wife, Diana and Arthur were not surprised by Mr Thompson presence either. They were hiding something from him.

The ever-efficient maid had the tea all laid out at the sitting room and all of them repaired to that room.


	17. Discomfiture

It seems that the Trafalgar House sitting room was overflowing with people. Every nook and cranny of the rooms was full of them, adults and children alike, enjoying the refreshments.

On the one hand, Mary, ever the considerate hostess, ensured that the whole Heywood family and their two guests, especially the children, had access to tea and ample snacks to recover from their long journey.

She was keeping a watchful eye on how quickly they ran out of a particularly favourite treat and asked the maid to bring more of it straight away. She noticed, for example, how much the Heywood children enjoyed the sweetmeats and the savoury pies. She smiled indulgently when she thought of Charlotte's food choices when she was recovering. She understood now where those culinary choices originated.

On the other hand, the two prospective sons-in-law, Arthur and Sidney, for the two Heywood daughters, had unconsciously placed themselves in the enviable position of observing of what their future family life might look like.

They observed how extremely close-knit the large family was. How both parents took their time to talk both to each child and each other, how the eldest children helped their youngest siblings to food and drink and how Captain Frederick and Miss Anne Elliot entertained the children who had already finished their meal. All that was done in an apparently seamless and unaffected manner with not so much as one loud voice or sound being uttered from the very well-behaved family. Their manners were always impeccable and the familial bond between them seemed unbreakable. It was like watching a well-practised and pleasing dance that you wished never ended.

Both men understood that, should they be fortunate to be allowed to wed their chosen ladies, they would be the luckiest men alive. Tom was also very interested in the dynamics of this family. He had of course already experienced it first-hand in Willingden, but seeing it again reinforced his wish to get his own family life back on track.

In fact, the whole Heywood family thrived in being reunited again despite the open scrutiny that they were unintentionally currently under. Both Mr and Mrs Heywood were thrilled to have all their children in one room and more importantly to be back together again. Their marriage was a true love match and this time apart has been difficult for both them. Sidney could tell from his future in-laws' demeanour that they could hardly wait to spend some time together.

Dr Levinson also took his chance to speak to Diana. He explained to her what had happened when he spoke to Sidney about their courtship and about his wish to open a new surgery in Sanditon. He also told her that her brother would speak to her about it. Diana was thrilled to hear of this update. She tried to give her best attention to Dr Levinson as she truly did like him. However, it was so very distracting having Captain Wentworth in the same room. She has not liked a gentleman for a long time. Now she liked two at the same time! Oh, how confusing it all was! It was just lucky that Dr Levinson could not read her thoughts or at least so she thought.

Mr Thompson ended up having an interesting discussion with Lady Susan about his practice in London. The lady was interested in speaking to him as he oversaw the legal affairs of the Sanditon project. The solicitor himself was more than keen to speak to her as he understood that she would be a valuable contact in the beau monde for future business opportunities.

However, this did not mean that Lady Susan forgot about Frederick's presence in the room. He was an engaged man. Therefore, she would never cause a scandal in addressing him or even showing that she already knew him. This did not stop her though from thoroughly enjoying his magnificent presence once again as he was a delight to look at. He really was too handsome for his own good! What made it more appealing was that he was unaware of the stir that he caused whenever he went.

Without anybody noticing two hours have passed until the whole party in the sitting room had full bellies and was amply refreshed. It was right on cue then when the Parker children were brought down by their nurses.

It was a truly comical scene for everyone but the children themselves. The three Parker children stood at the entrance of the sitting room as still as statues with confusion written all over their young faces. They could not understand how so many children came to be in their parents' house. The adults in the room were trying very hard not to laugh at them!

Charlotte, who was as amused as the rest of the adults in the room from the Parker children's reaction, went to them and asked gently,' Alicia, Jenny and Henry, my family is here. Will you come to meet them?'

Jenny was the first to recover from the shock and nodded with a shy smile at Charlotte. Her sister and Henry did so as well. Charlotte took the children to meet her father, Frederick and Miss Elliot, who greeted them pleasantly and then introduced each child to the siblings that they had not met yet. Neither Parker child was shy, so they were soon absorbed in the throng of the youngest of the Heywood clan as if they had never been apart. This did not go unnoticed by neither Sidney nor Charlotte. He flashed a smile and winked at her and she returned the smile back at him.

Mr Heywood noticed this exchange between them and looked at his wife. She only gave him a knowing smile and nodded. He had intended to give this Mr Sidney Parker a bit of a hard time, but Charlotte's radiant face and his wife's knowing smile aborted his plans, which of course his wife had already guessed.

He would have to accept his fate to relinquish his daughter to another man. He sighed at that thought, which was met by a comforting squeeze of his hand by his wife. She knew what he was thinking. Yes, he was very glad to have his wife back. Very glad, indeed. They could somehow communicate without speaking and this soothed him immensely. He had missed that when she was away from him.

By the bye the Parker children asked permission from their parents and the Heywood adults to take their new friends at the nursery to play. Both sets of parents agreed. Thus, the three Parker children, Christian, Thomas, Mary, Michael, Laura, Ben, Gina and Beth returned to the nursery under the care of the two Parker and two Heywood nurses. The boys had already made plans on how to conduct their next battle with their soldiers and the girls were eager to share the adventures of the Parker dolls. However, Emily chose to stay in the sitting room to Arthur's relief in order to catch up with her sisters.

The departure of the children created a bit of an awkwardness in the room to begin with. However, Mary navigated through that with the practised ease of an excellent hostess. It was at times like these that she thanked her mother for teaching her all her skills.

Thus, she secretly signalled Diana and Arthur with one look for them to engage Mr Thompson in conversation. They took the hint and immediately started asking their family solicitor about his family and London. Mr Thompson liked those two more easy-going Parker siblings and he was happy to speak to them. In fact, Miss Diana was a favourite of his wife's and she never failed to invite her for tea whenever she knew that Miss Parker was in London. She would expect him to tell her all about this conversation at his next letter to her, so he gave his full attention to the Parker siblings.

Sidney picked up his sister-in-law's intention and engaged Mr and Mrs Heywood in conversation, which was a move that earned him a bright smile from Charlotte. She wanted Sidney to get to know her father better in order to smoothen over any upset she might cause him when they asked for his permission for Sidney to court her.

Charlotte and Alison were catching up with Emily whom they have both sorely missed. They heard all the news from home and what their siblings have been up in their absence. Emily also told them of what was happening at theWillingdenvillage and their friends there. The three of them painted the pretty picture of three sisters who finally reunited after a long absence. In truth, Charlotte's attention was divided between speaking with her sisters and observing Sidney's interactions with her parents. She caught him looking at her as well when her parents pretended not to notice.

Dr Levinson addressed Captain Wentworth, having been apprised of his profession, and they started a discussion on the latest medical developments in the navy. The doctor was a keen supporter of the nation's sailors and took every opportunity to have a discussion with one. Captain Wentworth was also interested in this discussion as his men have just recovered from a bout of scurvy- a fact that interested Dr Levinson immensely.

Anne Elliot looked with amusement at Frederick. He certainly loved his profession and she knew that this discussion with Dr Levinson would be very enjoyable for him. She also knew that her Frederick loved her. That is why his reaction to Lady Susan puzzled her so much. Thus, she decided to get to know the lady and ascertain what could be the matter before speaking to him. She was given the chance to do so after being addressed by the lady herself. They had a very pleasant conversation and Anne found that she liked Lady Susan very much. Then why was Frederick giving her anxious looks? She knew when he was upset about something as his eyes changed colour from light and clear blue to a turbulent dark blue one.

Lady Susan was also very keen to make the acquaintance of Frederick fiancée. She found her to be charming lady with a sensible head on her shoulders and one whom she would be glad to get to know better. She also sensed that Miss Elliot was head over heels in love with him as he was with her because they kept sneaking glances at each other whilst continuing with their own conversation.

Lady Susan was a realist. She knew that she stood no chance with Frederick. She knew what a man in love looked like. She could tell that Frederick adored Miss Elliot from the way he looked at her. Then why not help the lady? Lady Susan herself had the Regent and her friends after all to occupy herself. She has had her chance with Frederick, and it was now gone.

Thus, Lady Susan decided to help Miss Anne Elliot as much as she could for the sake of Frederick and the warm regard that she herself still held for him. It could never atone for the pain that she had inflicted upon him in their younger days, but it would make her feel better about it if she eased the path of the woman that he loved in London society.

This left the hosts, Tom and Mary, to themselves for some minutes. Tom told Mary about their morning with the children and what they did at the beach. Mary told him about what she had supposedly achieved with her household planning. She abhorred lying to her husband, but she could never tell him about their visit to Lady Denham. All would be revealed tomorrow morning. Thus, for the first time in her life, Mary Parker lied just to keep the peace within her family.

She also asked her husband if he minded them inviting the Heywoods and the rest of their guests for dinner this evening and postponing their picnic for another day. She stated that this was the least they could do after all their hospitality that the family had shown towards them in Willingden. Tom agreed to that suggestion and promptly invited their guests to dinner, which invitation they accepted. Mary briefly excused herself to make the necessary arrangements and left them to get acquainted.

Mary's departure left Tom with an immediate decision to make. He decided to avoid any confrontation with their family solicitor and decided to join Dr Levinson and Captain Wentworth's discussion until dinner time. They welcomed his contributions as they were at the point of their discussion where the benefits of sea bathing were mentioned. This was a topic that Tom excelled at, so he gave it his all.

The discussions in the sitting room were going on nicely whilst Mary spoke to her cook and explained that they had guests for dinner. This very efficient lady had already guessed her mistress's conundrum before it was stated to her. Mary was told that dinner was already being cooked and that the maids were already preparing the dining room for the meal. All she had to do was set the places on the table. Mary had never felt more grateful for her cook's proactiveness. She was a treasure!

Thus, relieved from some of her duties, she entered the study to prepare the place cards for the table.

She decided to sit Mr and Mrs Heywood next to each other. She could tell how much Mrs Heywood had missed her husband whilst she was nursing Charlotte to health. They would appreciate being placed next to each other.

She took a moment to think. Ah, her brooding brother-in-law! Sidney would appreciate being seated between Mr Heywood and Charlotte. It would be best to keep his temper even as she noticed how annoyed he got with Captain Wentworth. Sidney was completely besotted with Charlotte. It gladdened her heart to see that as she had lost all hope that her forbidding brother-in-law would ever settle down.

Then, who else? Diana showed some partiality towards Dr Levinson. Why not seat her next to him? They seemed to enjoy their discussion. They could simply continue it over dinner time. Yes, that would work nicely. Well, Mary, she told herself, your matchmaking skills are incomparable!

Where to put Arthur? He could not stop looking at Emily, the other Heywood daughter. Mary knew in her heart that Arthur had fallen for this girl and he would relish any chance to speak to her. She would help him, so she put Emily next to him opposite Dr Levinson and Diana. She was unsure what Emily's feelings were towards her younger brother-in-law, but she would leave Arthur to charm the girl. He was certainly capable of doing so when he pleased.

She, of course, placed Tom at the head of the table and herself at the other side. She would have Charlotte on her right side and Diana on her left. She decided to place Mrs Heywood on Tom's right side and Alison on his left. Both ladies seemed to know how to manage him very well. They would keep him out of mischief throughout dinner.

She had to be careful where to sit Mr Thompson, though. She could tell that Tom's suspicions have been roused. She hesitated for a moment but then decided to place the family solicitor between Alison and Lady Susan.

The last two would then be Captain Wentworth and Miss Elliot sitting next to each other. Captain Wentworth would be seated between Lady Susan and Miss Elliot. Mary was sure something was off when Captain Wentworth was introduced to Lady Susan. The poor but very handsome man went white! Mary wondered whether he realised how good looking he really was. Well, thought Mary, it will all come out in the wash. They can sort it out between them.

Mary was satisfied with all the arrangements. She placed the cards on the table and then went to her room to change for dinner. She decided to dress up a bit. She was excited. She has not planned a large dinner for ages! She was looking forward to it like a debutante who was going to her coming-out ball!

After her attire was changed to her satisfaction, she entered the nursery to check up on the children. The scene that greeted her made her smile. The boys were engrossed in their battle trying to outdo each other whilst the girls were having tea with their dolls. The four nurses took part in both games motivating the children in their perspective games. The nurses greeted her with a smile, but otherwise did not say anything else. Mary motioned one of them to come to her and told her to give the children their dinner at the nursery this evening. The nurse nodded and went back to play with the children.

Mary was more than sure now that the arrival of the Heywood children would be the making of her own children. There was no squabbling, no arguing, everybody shared their toys and they were having the best of times. If only it stayed like this until the end of dinner, she would be a very happy woman!

Her final stop was at the kitchen where she was informed that dinner would be ready in 15 minutes' time. This was Mary's cue to get her guests to the dining room.

Her guests would never have guessed their hostess's thoughts and how well pegged she has had them. They continued their conversations undaunted and unaware of the frantic preparations for their dinner until their hostess arrived to usher them to the dining room. Tom marvelled at how handsome his wife looked in her evening wear. He really was a very lucky man. If only she would forgive him!

The guests made their way to the dining room to enjoy a sumptuous dinner and excellent conversation. Most of them were more than pleased with the sitting arrangements.

Sidney was delighted to have been placed next to Charlotte as he had hardly said a word to her in the sitting room. He was not so delighted that he was sitting next to her father, though. He would not even be able to hold her hand without her father noticing. A thought that made him scowl even deeper.

She knew him well enough to know what he was thinking. Seeing that they happened to be standing next to each other, she coughed slightly to get him to move the chair for her to sit down. That got him to turn his attention to her person, her brown inquisitive eyes and teasing smile. It did not take long for him to get her to sit down and return her happy grin. As a reward she secretly held his hand for a moment and laced her fingers with his. Sidney kicked himself for not giving her more credit. His Charlotte was not so clever for nothing.

The two of them thought their interaction was discreet, but her parents knew exactly what was happening. Mr Heywood resolved to speak to this young man soon before anything untoward happened. His eldest child was a smart one. Yet, she was in love. Common sense would not come into play on this occasion. Despite everything, the Heywood patriarch was not displeased. The little time that he had spoken to his future son-in-law, he approved both of what he saw and heard. He would need to observe his person and habits further throughout this visit to form a full opinion of him.

Emily felt completely out of place, which did not go unnoticed by her parents. She was a shy girl with excellent manners. They followed her with their eyes to see her reaction when Arthur helped her sit down. Then they smiled at each other as they now understood that Emily was fond of the other Parker brother.

Emily herself was used to being in a room with her noisy siblings and her whole family. Yet, she felt like a fish out of water in this room despite the presence of her parents, sisters and cousin. She was to be seated next to Mr Arthur Parker. He felt him looking at her both when they were first introduced and at the sitting room.

She did not know what to make of him. He seemed to be a jovial and open-hearted man with pleasant manners. She thought that he was very pleasant to look at and she liked his smile very much. Was he really a nice man? Would he be nice to talk to? A thousand doubts plagued her. She sighed and resigned herself to find out if he spoke to her during dinner.

Arthur's brain stopped working the moment he saw that Mary arranged for him to sit next to Miss Emily. He looked at his sister-in-law, who was expecting his questioning look, in wonder. How did she know? Mary merely smiled and encouraged him with a nod. Arthur could only move his head in disbelief at Mary's matchmaking. Not that he objected, of course. Far from it. Thus, the offensive to charm Miss Emily Heywood began by moving the dining chair for her to sit down, which earned him a quiet 'thank you' and a shy smile.

Mr and Mrs Heywood were more than happy to be seated next to each other. They relished the chance to have an adult dinner, which was a rare occasion in Willingden. One of them always had to take care one child or another. Now all the children were being taken care of and they could enjoy a well-earned break, interesting adult conversation and amusing themselves by watching their daughters and their suitors' reactions over dinner.

Tom was a bit disappointed that he would not be sitting next to his wife, but he understood that the protocol dictated that each of them sit at the head of the table. It gave him a good springboard on his mission to improve his observation skills in other people's body language.

However, Captain Wentworth went all stiff when he saw the sitting arrangements for him and Anne. He was placed between Lady Susan and his fiancée.

Captain Wentworth was dreading dinner. He was shocked beyond belief when he was introduced to Lady Susan and found that he was staring at his first love. He has lost track of her and has thought nothing of her for years. He has only had eyes for his Anne. He still did. The thing was that Anne knew nothing of his relationship with Lady Susan. The occasion to share this with her had never arisen due to their own set of troubles and their ultimate reunion.

Thus, he now was in real trouble. He knew that Anne had noticed his reaction. She would confront him about it. That was her way. He saw how well Lady Susan treated Anne and what a friendly conversation they have had. Could he trust Lady Susan's discretion, or would she reveal their past relationship to Anne? He made a note for himself to speak to Anne the moment they reached their hotel. They have suffered too much to have any secrets between them now.

He was determined to fix this! He could do this. He was a captain of the navy after all, for heaven's sake. He could endure a dinner being seated between the woman that he used to love and his Anne Oh, what a mess this was! He took a deep breath and helped both ladies to their seats.

Dinner proceeded with no surprises to Frederick's relief. The three courses were enjoyed thoroughly by all and everyone conducted themselves with decorum. No secrets were exposed, and everybody was in good spirits. The dynamics of the group only changed when they were gathered in the sitting room for their evening coffee and biscuits.

Frederick was asked to tell the group an amusing story from his time in the navy. Anne, who knew the effect her fiancé had on a lady of any age when he was talking about his work, saw exactly what she expected. Every lady's eyes, married or not, were ogling him, ready to eat him up and their cheeks were bright red. Yet, to her satisfaction, he was only looking at her throughout the telling of the story. It was all the proof she wanted that he was hers and hers alone.

It also amused Anne, to see the reaction of the rest of the men in the group. The rest of the men in the room, except Mr Thompson, were helpless. They could only watch their ladies go flush in front of another man and the jealousy burnt bright inside them. She knew it was not polite to laugh, but a small grin escaped her lips. She happened to briefly look at Mr Thompson who shared her amusement, so they nodded to each other slightly.

The story was successfully told to the relief of green-eyed gentlemen who flocked to the side of their ladies. It took all of Anne's good breeding and manners not to laugh there and then at the scene. It was at that time that one of the Heywood nurses came to fetch their mistress as the children were getting tired.

Mr Heywood then announced that the family was to host a picnic tomorrow morning. He cordially invited the Parker family to join them. Sidney and Charlotte exchanged a look the meant that one of them had had to intervene.

He nodded at her and thus she asked, 'Papa, you have not met Georgiana and the other ladies in her house yet. May we invite them to the picnic? I am sure Alicia, Jenny and Henry would also love to continue playing with our siblings. Mary, Tom what do you think? Will you let them join us? We will take good care of them.'

Mary knew exactly what was happening. 'Charlotte, that is a lovely idea. I think they would love that. Tom, shall we let them?'

Tom did not know exactly how, but he knew that he just been put in such a position that he could not refuse. 'Of course, they can, my dear.'

Sidney, Arthur and Diana breathed a silent sigh of relief. Oh, my clever Charlotte, Sidney thought. Mr Thompson was impressed. If this was Mr Sidney Parker's wife-to-be, then she was indeed a force to be reckoned with.

Mr Heywood understood that for some reason it was important that Mr Tom Parker was not to be alerted about something or other. His wife communicated to him as much with just one look. He decided to play along.

'Charlotte, that is a marvellous idea. It would be great to meet your other friends. We have heard so much about them. How about we pick the children up at nine in the morning to give you a chance to rest? Mrs Parker, Mr Tom Parker, what do you think?'

'Yes, of course. Mr Heywood. That sounds splendid. Doesn't it, Tom?'

Tom was again plagued by a sense of deja vu. He was being played by his own wife! What is going on? Again, he could only agree. 'Yes, it does, my dear.'

The Parker siblings, Mary and Charlotte looked at each other for a moment and the decision was made. Sidney said pleasantly, 'Tom, do you have time for us to catch up tomorrow morning? We have hardly spoken these past weeks. We could join the Heywoods after we talk, what do you say?'

Tom was flabbergasted. Sidney as well? He conceded defeat. He might as well agree and find out what has been happening.

'Yes, it has been a while. Sidney. I should like that.', said Tom.

The Heywood parents, Emily and Alison went upstairs at the nursery to collect eight sleepy children. The children dutifully followed their parents and their nurses, but you could see how tired they were. Arthur, Diana, Frederick, Anne, Mr Thompson, Dr Levinson and Lady Susan instantly offered their help to get them to the hotel which was gratefully accepted by the Heywood parents.

Charlotte wanted to join them as well, but Mr Heywood insisted that she rest for tomorrow. She went to wish goodnight to her siblings and mother, and this gave Mr Heywood the chance to give Sidney the green light for some private time with Charlotte.

'I will allow fifteen minutes of private time with Charlotte, Mr Parker. I would then like us to have the discussion, which I suspect you wish to have with me. How about after the picnic tomorrow? At three at the hotel? I would also need your help with something else in return. Mr Thompson is aware of what that is.'

Sidney was both elated and scared at this suggestion, 'Yes, sir, thank you sir. I will not fail you. How about I order us some tea and refreshments in my hotel room for us to talk undisturbed? Will Mrs Heywood and Mr Thompson be joining us?'

Mr Heywood replied, 'Yes, young man, she will be there throughout our meeting. I will call Mr Thompson to join us half-way through it. I look forward to our chat.' The two men shook hands and the rest of the group departed for the direction of the hotel.


	18. Sidney proposes

This left only Tom, Mary, Sidney and Charlotte in the Trafalgar House. Tom and Mary promptly excused themselves in order to check up on the children. This left only Charlotte and Sidney by themselves after a long weary day being surrounded by other people.

Sidney looked at his Charlotte who wordlessly took his hand and led him to the sitting room where she ushered him in and soundlessly closed the door behind her. She then took him by the hand again, sat him down on the settee, sat on his lap and hugged him closely.

No words needed to be exchanged between them at this stage. Charlotte was relishing having him close and smelling his heady pine perfume and Sidney closed his eyes in relief just having her in his arms again. They stayed like this for good five minutes before Charlotte took the initiative and kissed him senseless. Sidney simply let her as he was delighted by her attentions.

As Charlotte deepened the kiss further, Sidney thought that he had died and had gone to heaven. Their tongues explored their mouths with an urgency of long separated lovers despite them only having some time together in the morning.

She then stopped kissing him without warning leaving him breathless with unfocussed pupils on his glassy eyes and turned her brown expressive eyes to caress his face for a second before tracing his face and full lips with her index finger as if to commit his features to her memory. He could only look back at her and wonder what she was thinking or what she was about to say to him.

He kept silent and waited her out. 'I could see that you were jealous of Frederick earlier this evening. I could clearly see from the corner of my eye that you were ready to push him out of the room and beat him up with no mercy just because of the reaction he provoked in us ladies.

Needless to say, you were not the only one who was having those thoughts. Every grown man in the room, apart from Mr Thompson, who by the way found imminent amusement in both the reaction of the ladies and their men, wanted to do the exact same thing. Even my own father despite his trust in my mother.

I am not sure whether you have noticed this, but Frederick is head over heels in love with Miss Elliot. Had put your jealousy aside for a moment and looked at their faces, you would notice that he worships the ground that she walks on. The whole story that he narrated was truly for her benefit as his eyes were solely trained on her. They cannot live without each other. I dare say that they are as besotted with each other as we are. Even more so though because they have had such a difficult time getting together after being apart for nine years due to her family interference.

Yes, Frederick is extremely handsome. I have always found him so until I met you. You have eclipsed him in that in my eyes. He will bring out my blushes with his charm, but remember, you jealous man, that he will never have a claim on my heart. That has been your property for a very long time now. If you play your cards right, it will remain yours for eternity.

Therefore, I would ask you to stop glaring at him, my jealous darling, and make friends with him instead. You have both travelled. He delights in it and so do you. You would be great friends if you only gave him half a chance and put your jealousy aside. He is a very interesting man to talk to. He knows of all manner of things. He has even been to Antigua. You like interesting conversation as otherwise you get bored. Why else would you love my unpredictable ways?

I love you and only you. Why else would I kiss you like I did earlier? There is no need to be jealous of every man who looks at me. I know you may not be able to help yourself at times as I am not sure I could if another woman looked at you like that. However, you must try. You must trust me otherwise this relationship, our relationship, will not work out despite what we feel for each other. We would end up arguing even more that we currently do. Do you understand what I am saying to you, Sidney?'

Sidney was struck mute on how well she read his mind. How well she understood his murderous mood towards her cousin. He had the grace to blush, nod mutely and pull her in his embrace. She released a sigh of relief and melted in his embrace.

They hugged each other until Sidney's arms brought her closer to him and his arms started wandering from top to bottom of Charlotte's well-formed body. Her hands also itched to touch him, so Sidney's neckcloth was swiftly removed. The moment Charlotte's dainty hand caressed his neck, he growled aloud, his pupils darkened even more than normal, and he brought her body even closer to his leaving no gap between them. He then fused his mouth with hers in a heady kiss which was an equal mixture of an apology and promise to comply with her request.

He had all the best intentions in the world when he spoke to Charlotte's father thanking him for the chance to spend all this time with her alone. However, now that he had her in his arms kissing her, his resolve was not so strong. He was only a man after all, and he was kissing the love of his life.

He got up unexpectedly and lifted Charlotte with him without breaking the kiss. In fact, he deepened it so much more that Charlotte moaned loudly in approval. It was the least he could after his jealous display earlier today. She needed to be shown how important she was to him.

He gently placed her on the sofa and covered his body with hers. The frantic kissing did not end. They explored each other's bodies through their clothes and loud moans were emanating from them both. They did not realise this to start with, but Sidney felt that his control was slipping very fast.

All too soon, he broke the kiss to place butterfly kisses down her white delicate throat, neck and exposed breasts making her squirm under him. Charlotte knew that she wanted more whatever that was. She knew that she could not bring herself to stop kissing him. She heard him whisper to her, 'Mine, all mine, my Charlotte. Nobody else's.' He then kissed her with a possessiveness that made her see stars. All she could do was cling to him and return the kiss.

He was really losing control now. He had to make himself stop otherwise the meeting with her father tomorrow afternoon would be catastrophic. He slowed his kisses down, which made Charlotte grunt with disapproval and made him silently chuckle at her disgruntlement.

He continued kissing her long neck and whispered in her ear, 'I was mad with jealousy today when you blushed during your cousin's story telling. All I could think of was how I wanted to take you to a room and devour you exactly as I am doing now. I am sorry I reacted like that earlier. I will temper my jealousy for your sake. Tell me, would it be so very bad, my love, if we just wed now that your whole family is here?

I am reaching my limits, darling. If we continue kissing like this every time, we will pre-empt our wedding vows in no time at all. I can tell that you feel the same from the way that you react when I kiss you. You have no idea what I want to do to you. Please, won't you think about it? Won't you make me the happiest man on the planet and allow me to marry you?'

He punctuated his request by another earth-shattering kiss which made Charlotte's love-addled brain wonder why on earth she was delaying the inevitable fate of being joined with him as his wife. That was all she wanted. She was still recovering from his kiss when he picked her up as if she was as light as a feather, sat her on his lap just as they were before. He then fumbled in his jacket pocket for two items under Charlotte's glassy yet curious gaze.

She saw him pull out a small square box and a rectangular official-looking paper. He gave her the wide, happy smile that he only kept for her alone, kissed her anew and opened the box. He then said again, 'My darling Charlotte, you are the air that I breathe. You are everything to me. I love you as you are and I wouldn't change anything about you. I am here to stay. I will never leave you again. Please marry me, darling. You are the anchor to my boat. Help me moor onto a safe port and let us be happy.'

Charlotte looked wide-eyed between the beautiful ring in the box and Sidney. She was stunned. His beautiful words secretly addressed all her fears in accepting him. She had one foot out of the door just in case he left her again. It felt as if his words magically addressed those doubts and they vanished as if they never existed.

Sidney could tell that she was processing what he had asked her. He pressed his case anew. 'I bought this ring for you when I was in London. I also secured a special license for us to marry whenever and wherever we want along with the fabrics for your trousseau and your wedding dress. Your mother knows all about this. I could ask your parents for your hand tomorrow. Please, darling, say yes.'

He looked at her pleadingly with his best puppy dog look, hugged her close and started playing with the brown curls that had escaped her hairdo nuzzling her neck at the same time. Another kiss confused Charlotte even more. She could not think when he was kissing her so deeply. She could not but return it.

He broke the kiss and looked at her with his dark eyes,' We have learned the hard way that waiting has only caused us grief. Please, my love, say yes. I know you love me, but I will not feel secure that you are mine and mine alone until we are wed.'

Charlotte looked at him carefully, gave him a beaming smile, kissed his nose and said, 'Yes, I will marry you, my prince. I love you so very much. You may ask papa for my hand tomorrow.'

Sidney could not believe his ears. She had said yes! He gave her a blinding smile. 'You have just made me so very happy, my love. I love you too, darling.' He then took the ring, put it in her ring finger and kissed her finger gently. It fitted her perfectly as if she was born to wear it. She glowed from her delight in wearing it and caressed it lovingly with her fingers.

'How did you know what colour to choose for my ring? I have always loved blue.', she asked him in wondrous amazement.

'I knew that you loved the sea. It was a natural conclusion out of knowing your habits. It also helped and most of your spencers are blue, my love.' he said in response winking at her.

She gave him a cheeky grin, squatted his arm playfully and leaned against his broad chest. 'Sidney, can we really get married anytime and anywhere we like? Do you really have the fabric and my trousseau materials ready at hand?'

Sidney's loud laugh sounded like a pleasant rumble on his chest as she was laying on it. She delighted at the sensation. She loved making him laugh.

'Yes, my inquisitive darling, just name the place and the time. As soon as your dress and trousseau are ready and providing your father gives his permission, we can marry either here in Sanditon or in Willingden. Just say the word.'

She looked up, looked at him and asked him again 'Really? And mama knows of all this? She never breathed a word.'

He laughed further at her excited face, 'Yes, my love, really. Yes, your mother knows all about it. I had to confide in her in order for her to read my letter to you.'

She then suddenly got visibly nervous at the mention of his letter and started fumbling with her ring. Sidney noticed, but he waited. She looked up at him and shyly asked, 'You really won't leave me again?'

That small question turned a jovial Sidney to a sober one. He lifted her head with his finger and replied in all seriousness, 'Do you know how I reacted in London when Mary sent me the message with the news that your health got worse, my love?'

Charlotte whispered a small 'no' but kept looking at him. His eyes kept her captive and she would not look away for the world. He continued with his narrative, 'Esther and Babington were with me. I went into shock just from the hypothetical situation of ever losing you. They could not do a thing for me. The only person who knew how to deal with me was our housekeeper in London who has known me ever since I was a child. She was the only one who could snap me out of my trance. It even took her at least two hours to get me back to my normal self. She had to ply me with strong tea and chocolate cookies to even get me in the right state of mind for the Babingtons to get me back to Sanditon. Do you really think that I would leave you out of my own accord? You are too important to me.'

She nodded, kissed him lightly on the lips and rested in his embrace with a happy sigh. She wanted to break the solemn atmosphere and cheekily asked, 'So, the great Sidney Parker has a sweet tooth. Who would have thought?'

Sidney caressed her soft hair, smiled softly and reminisced aloud in a soft voice, 'I take after my mother on that count. She loved anything sweet. We used to share a chocolate cookie after dinner until the day she left us. Now you know my secret, my love. If you want to bribe me to do anything, chocolate cookies would do the trick!'

Charlotte giggled aloud at that last comment, which prompted him to laugh along with her. She liked that side of him. It was soft and cosy and hers alone. They stayed silent for a long moment enjoying each other's presence.

Sidney then broke the silence and told her about his conversation with Dr Levinson and Lady Susan concerning the new apartments and Diana's courtship. She told him in return the discussion her and her mother had with Alison concerning Mr Stringer. He promised to prompt Mr Stringer to join them at the picnic for Alison's sake.

Charlotte asked carefully, 'Are you worried about your meeting with Tom tomorrow, Sidney?'

He looked at her with soft eyes brimming with emotion, 'How is it that you know my fears before I even voice them, Charlotte? Yes, I must admit that I am. I am nervous how he is going to react. Therefore, I have asked Mr Thompson to be present just in case we need any legal advice.'

She smiled at him, 'I think that you have done everything you can to cover every eventuality. As for knowing your fears, your face says it all. You wrinkle your forehead when you fret about something. Your pulse was also faster.'

He kissed her forehead affectionately and exclaimed, 'My clever Charlotte!'

She was not at all modest about this achievement. She said with pride, 'I am, aren't I? I had a good teacher in mama. She does the same with papa. That is how he played along in the rouse for the picnic earlier this evening. You are entering into a very observant family, Mr Parker. We shall find out all your secrets!'

He laughed aloud delightedly, 'I can't wait, my darling. I have nothing to hide. Well, apart from our honeymoon destination. That will be a surprise. Where would you like to live, Charlotte? In London or in Sanditon? Or somewhere else?'

She pondered for a moment and said 'In Sanditon. Somewhere with a view of the sea and some space for a garden. I don't think I could live in London. It is too busy a place for my liking. Now that you have told me that Susan is to have a house here, the prospect sounds even more appealing.'

He smiled at her and said, 'The apartment at the end of the terrace has a direct view to the sea and a large back garden. How about we start getting that fixed up for us?'

Charlotte beamed at the suggestion, 'That just sounds ideal! How soon can it be made ready?'

Sidney took a moment to remind himself of Mr Stringer's plan and responded, 'A month at the earliest. This doesn't take in account any potential delays. I would say maximum two months.'

She nodded eagerly, 'Perfect! A month is Just enough time for the banns to be read and for the wedding preparations for a simple ceremony. How about the wedding date, Sidney?'

He grimaced in consternation, 'A month, Charlotte? How am I supposed to manage a whole month? I am struggling as it is!'

Charlotte giggled as she swatted his arm, 'The same way that you have managed so far, my love. With small rewards and encouragement. Anyway, knowing mama and my sisters, neither of us have a choice in the matter. My parents would expect us to wait at least one month before we tie the knot.'

He released a mock heavy sigh, but smiled mischievously at her, 'How about the beginning of September, darling? This would give Mr Stringer's men time to finish up our house and we could then go for a honeymoon trip somewhere warm.'

All Charlotte could do is agree, 'Wonderful idea! I cannot wait!' They spent the remaining time they had, sealing the deal with the customary kiss or kisses in their case. They knew that once the engagement was announced, they would always be chaperoned. Thus, this quality time together was extra special.

Sidney knew what he needed to do for them to put all the hurt and upset completely behind them. He took Charlotte's hand and took her at the same place in the room where she first collapsed upon his announcement to her of his engagement with Eliza. He took his time to rewrite the horrible memory in their mind by kissing her as thoroughly as propriety would allow him. Charlotte understood his intent and joined in enthusiastically.

Just sorting out those final details of their future life and replacing unpleasant memories with pleasant ones, brought peace to their souls. All the past hurt has healed which opened the doors of a bright future for them. Their love was strong, and their souls were finally one.

Eventually, they started feeling tired. Charlotte went to her bedroom for a well-earned rest and Sidney made his way to the hotel. They both grinned like fools from happiness, but they could not care less who saw them. Their time for happiness has finally arrived and they would let the whole world know about it. Needless to say, they both had extremely pleasant dreams that night.


	19. Mary's Ultimatum

Whilst Charlotte and Sidney were healing their emotional wounds and taking the first steps towards their common happiness, Tom and Mary were spending some quality time with their children.

Both parents went to the nursery, where the nurse had already given the Parker children their dinner and their baths had also been taken care of very much to Mary's relief, to check up on their three children just after they bid their guests goodnight. She loved her children dearly, but she dreaded their bath time as she always came out of the room with drenched clothes. She was wearing her favourite gown and thus getting it wet was not a pleasant thought. Not to mention the unnecessary work for her maid.

The children cheered loudly when they saw their parents. They have had the best afternoon in ages, so they could not wait to tell them what they did with the Heywood children. They were sitting on the carpet playing and that was where both Mary and Tom were asked to sit. The moment they sat down, the two girls took Mary to their side and started telling her about their games with the Heywood girls. How their dolls took their tea, how many cakes they have had and how many visits they have paid to each other. All the stories made Mary smile widely. To her delight, her girls were happy. Her expectations that they would thrive under the care of the Heywood siblings have been confirmed.

Tom was listening to his son's stories on the battles that they had won against the French along with the description of the outfit of each soldier. He was astonished again on how well developed his son's language was for his age. He kept to the promise that he had made himself to encourage him. He prompted him with open questions, nodded to show his interest in the stories and even added some points in them himself. He realised that he was thoroughly enjoying his conversation with his only son. He could also feel his wife's eyes watching him, which served his purpose in getting back into her good graces.

The children eventually started yawning and they were thus carried to their beds by their nurse. Each child got a kiss and they went off to sleep. Tom and Mary strolled out of the nursery taking up their time before speaking to each other.

Tom looked up at his wife and stuttered, 'Mary...May... I show... you... something at our room?' Mary did not know what to expect from her husband but stuttering at her was not it. Her curiosity was aroused. She nodded her head cautiously and followed him towards the direction of their bedroom.

Once they were inside, he fetched one of the comfy chairs from the corner of the room, asked her to sit down and then walked towards his chest of drawers with Mary's curious eyes following his every move. He was frantically searching for something from the top drawer. It took him some time to find it. She knew instantly when his search was successful as he sighed with relief at the sight of it. Without uttering a word, he crossed the room, gave her a letter to read and sat on the chair next to hers.

Mary stared at her husband and gave him a quizzical look. He simply said, 'Please read it, Mary'. She nodded and started reading the contents of the documents. To her surprise, she was reading a letter addressed to Tom from her father-in-law. She read the first two paragraphs and looked up at him as if to ask whether she should be reading this. Tom smiled and nodded. She continued reading until she reached the end of it.

She then sat in silence for some minutes before voicing her thoughts aloud 'Why did you show me this letter, Tom? Your father wrote this letter only for you to read. Surely it is against his wishes for anyone else to read it.'

Tom hesitated but pressed on, 'Mary, you are my wife. My father would have wanted you to see it. You see, Mary, I need your help. I am as weak as my father when it comes to recognising what other people feel and how to read them. I am utterly inept at it unless someone points out the signs to me.

Arthur did start teaching me during the picnic. We did some people watching and it was a good start. I have also been practising by myself. I have noticed everyone's reactions during dinner. How everyone, especially the ladies and yourself, reacted to the story. How you wore your finest dress tonight and how beautiful you looked in it. How you all played me to agree for the children to go to the picnic tomorrow morning. How suddenly Sidney wants to spend some time with me when I know for a fact that he despises me.

Listen, I am not telling you this for you to tell me what you are all hiding from me. Lord knows that I have hurt a lot of people and I have nearly single handedly destroyed Sidney and Charlotte's happiness with my stupidity in financial matters as well as our marriage. You will tell me what is going on at the time that you all see fit.

However, I would like to become a worthy man again. I would like to gain your trust and be the husband that you deserve. I love you and our children, Mary very much. I do love my siblings- I just cannot show it- I don't know how.

All I need is someone to stop me before I go down the wrong path again. Someone to take me aside and put me back in the right path. Arthur promised to help. Will you? I will also show this letter to Diana and Sidney next time I see them and ask them the same.

I know it will take a while for all of you to trust me again. I certainly do not deserve your charity on this as I brought this all upon myself. I am willing to work hard and try, though. Will you help me?'

Mary listened to Tom's words trying very hard to keep a straight face. She found that concentrating on a crease of her dress helped her hide a triumphant grin threatening to escape. What she really wanted to do is get up and dance in jubilation. She has been secretly hoping to hear those words of reassurance from him ever since he started putting Sanditon's affairs before the welfare of his family.

Her poor husband's timing was dreadful as always. Just tomorrow the carpet would be pulled off his feet. He would lose his fortune and his pride all in one go. She loved him, the fool that he was, but she loved her children's future even more. She was now independent of him. She had a secure future thanks to Sidney and Lady Susan. She would not risk that for the world as she knew full well that any other woman would kill to be in her current position. She would simply need to make him see that she would not tolerate coming second to Sanditon anymore without revealing anything concerning the agenda of the family meeting.

She composed herself and looked up at Tom's pleading eyes. She said, 'Tom, thank you for your words. I sensed that you were trying harder. I saw it and I was very proud of you for trying. I would help you gladly, but something stops me from doing so.

Tom, I do love you. I have never stopped. However, I do not trust that at any moment you would find another obsession to replace the Sanditon one and leave your family in ruins without a care in the world. Do you realise that your children have no dowry for when they get married? Do you know what you have really done? Do you realise that your financial incapability impacted on every single household in this town? Do you even realise how many people depend upon the income that we provide for them?

I do not trust you. Words mean nothing. I have heard them before. If you want me to start putting any faith in your words that you love your family, you need to show us- both your siblings and myself and the children- that you mean what you say.

I refuse to come second to Sanditon or any other obsession of yours in future. Yes, you can be told when you make a fool of yourself. Yet, you are the only one who can make yourself stick to your resolution to save our marriage and your relationship with your siblings.

I need to see something binding- something legal- something where there would be consequences if you break your word. You need to choose Tom. Abandon your Sanditon obsession or else our marriage does not stand a chance. If you do not, I will leave you and take the children with me.

It is not an idle threat, either. I will do so and I know my parents will support me on this point. Did you know that my father knew that you would end up getting in financial trouble? He warned me. Yet, I chose to trust you and you trampled upon that trust.

Change your ways, Tom, or else you are going to lose everything. Make sure that you are in the study tomorrow morning at nine without fail. Your future depends upon it. Now I will let you think upon this. I am tired. I am off to bed.'

She got up, kissed the cheek of a teary-eyed, shocked Tom and departed without looking back. She wanted to do so. She wanted to console him. She did not do so, though. She knew that this was it- tough love. If her husband did not mend his ways after that ultimatum, then there would be no marriage to save. She sighed inwardly and went to the nursery to cuddle with her children and attempt to enjoy a good night's sleep.

Tom still sat there in shock. The change in his wife's attitude towards him was obvious. In the past she was happy to take him at his word. Not anymore. The ultimatum was clear. Reform or really lose everything.

Suddenly, he realised how late it was. He got up himself and started readying himself for bed hoping that his dreams would be pleasanter than his current reality.


	20. Anne and Frederick talk

The excitement in Trafalgar House was not contagious for each of the party going towards the hotel. Each adult and older Heywood child accompanied one of the youngest children.

On the one hand, Arthur was holding a very sleepy Michael who was dribbling on his brown coat. He found the child quite charming and his dribbling made him to chuckle. This caught Emily's attention who was carrying a sleeping Laura in her arms who was doing the exact same thing on her shoulder. This got them both silently laughing, but they stifled their amusement in order not to wake the two young ones up.

Having the same sense of humour was a great start, thought Arthur to himself. They both felt some sort of connection which made Arthur flush with pleasure and excitement. He was indeed prodigiously proud of himself!

He was silently blessing his sister-in-law in his head for her foresight in sitting him next to Miss Emily. He knew that he was no Adonis due to his plumb physique. Yet, he could charm any lady of his choice providing he was. of course. given the opportunity to do so. This ability to charm the opposite sex was one of the Parker men's traits that had been passed on them by their mother- one that he rarely used himself. However, he felt that it was vital that he made an exception when it came to Miss Emily Heywood.

On the other hand, Alison was so very pleased to be cuddling with Ben, who was asleep. She dearly loved all her siblings, but apart from Charlotte, she was closest to her brother Ben. They shared the same colour hair and eyes and his personality was very similar to hers. She did not realise until today how much she had missed him.

Frederick and Mr Thompson were walking behind Alison and Arthur. Christian, who was fighting valiantly not to fall asleep standing up, was walking slowly beside Frederick. He wanted to be seen to be behaving like a gentleman like his uncle and Mr Thompson. He admired Frederick very much and this quality time with him was a real treat. Christian also enjoyed his conversations with Mr Thompson, whom he thought to be a very interesting gentleman to speak to.

In the meantime, Frederick could see both how sleepy his nephew really was and what he was trying to do. Hence, he and Mr Thompson played along and asked about Christian's evening with the Parker children. Christian told them how they had acted out a battle between the French and the English. He immersed himself in his narrative about the battle and momentarily forgot that he was sleepy.

Similarly, Anne was walking next to Thomas. Incidentally, Thomas was as much of an introvert as Anne. In brief, he found a kindred spirit in her due to her quiet nature when she visited the family with Frederick at the Heywood home. They also had similar tastes in literature as they both enjoyed the Robinson Crusoe book. Subsequently, they were engrossed in their conversation of Robinson Crusoe's adventures with Friday seemingly uninterested in the rest of the walking party.

To the left of Anne and Thomas, Lady Susan was walking next to Mary, who looked very much like Charlotte as she might have been when she was younger. Mary had Charlotte's bright eyes, a sharp and clever wit, which was a trait that was slowly and steadily endearing the child to Susan. She was not always fond of young children, but she enjoyed their conversation immensely even if all they talked about was dolls, having tea and visits.

To the right of Lady Susan, the first Heywood nurse was holding a sleeping Beth and the second one was holding the children's things. Mr Heywood was helping them by holding on to some of the children's things and walking next to his wife.

He then happened to momentarily glance at Alison and a sleepy Ben. Ben was sleeping with his mouth open and a soft snore was coming out of his mouth. Ben was the child who mostly reminded him of himself when he was younger. He used to do that as well. How many times had his nurse tried to snap him out of it! All her attempts had been futile as he still did that even as a grown up when he was very tired. It was at those time when was given a jab on the ribs by his wife for waking her up without meaning to do so.

Mrs Heywood was holding Gina up close and cooing in her ear. She was nearly asleep, and her cooing was lulling her daughter to sleep slowly. All she could do most days was run around like a headless chicken without having the time to spend any considerably long time with each of her children. She loved her eldest children dearly, but the feeling of contentment that she had whenever she spent time like this with her youngest ones was a treat that she never took for granted these days.

Finally, Dr Levinson and Diana were walking next to each other having a quiet conversation as they were carrying some of the Heywood children's belongings. They were fully chaperoned, and it was a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity that Dr Levinson was not going to waste especially after seeing Diana's reaction to Frederick.

Ordinarily the walk to the hotel lasted a mere set of ten minutes. However, extra 10 minutes were added to the walk due to the impediment of carrying the sleepy children. Eventually the group reached the said building and gathered in the sitting room. The sleepy children were temporarily placed on the sofa under Emily and Alison's supervision to allow the Heywood adults to bid goodbye and thank the rest of non-Heywood adults for their assistance in bringing the children to the hotel.

Before parting the adults started discussing what was going to happen the following day. Thereby, they agreed to meet at the sitting room at eight thirty tomorrow morning just on time for breaking their fast altogether at the hotel's dining room at nine in the morning.

The plan was for half of the adults to go to the picnic location. Mr and Mrs Heywood were then to follow them there after picking up the Parker children and Charlotte from Trafalgar House as well as Miss Georgiana and the Beaufort sisters from their residence. This would mean that Frederick, Anne, Emily, Alison, Lady Susan, Dr Levinson and the Heywood nurses would head to the picnic location after breakfast to place the food on the blankets and reserve a place on the beach before it got too crowded.

In short, they were deliberating on the best location when Arthur told them that he knew just the spot. It was where their parents took them when they were young children. The young Heywood children could run around without the fear of getting hurt. He gave the directions to Mr and Mrs Heywood and explained to them that the Parkers' and Mr Thompson minus the children would join them in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Mrs Heywood, the ever prompt and considerate hostess, promptly summoned a maid and asked her to have a hamper for 30 people ready for them before their departure tomorrow. The maid returned to confirm that the cook was dealing with the lady's request as they spoke.

Mrs Heywood also took a moment to write an invitation to Mr Stringer. She wrote to cordially invite him to the Heywood picnic and for him to meet them at the hotel sitting room at ten in the morning. She gave the note to the maid who promised to deliver it herself on the morrow.

It seems that Alison guessed what her mother was doing and kept her eyes trained on her like a hawk. Mrs Heywood smiled at her daughter, gave her a nod and this prompted Alison to give her mother a wide face-splitting, happy smile as she understood what her mother was doing. It was all she could do to show her mother how grateful she was for inviting the man she loved at the picnic without garnering any further attention upon herself.

At first, Mr Heywood looked puzzled at his wife's and daughter's secret communication, but his wife looked at him with purpose. He then understood that not only was he going to relinquish his eldest daughter to Sidney Parker, but that Alison was very interested in a young man herself. Not to mention a blushing Emily who was finding Mr Arthur Parker appealing! He wanted to groan from frustration! To lose three daughters all at once! What was going to become of him! His all-knowing wife knew what he was thinking and winked at him. He could do nought but shrug his shoulders resignedly and smile at her.

It was at that moment that Arthur suddenly turned to Miss Emily, who had blushed crimson to the roots of her hair, kissed her gloved hand and wished her goodnight. An action that made Diana turn to look at her brother with a bewildered look as if she was seeing him for the first time. Consequently, she realised at that point that her little brother's heart had at last been touched and blessed the Heywood family with all her heart for entering their life.

Diana has indeed holding herself back from fully considering Dr Levinson as her future husband since she was worried about what would become of Arthur when she left him. She breathed a sigh of relief seeing him being so attentive towards Miss Emily. He will be ok, thought she to herself and the thought prompted her to give a radiant smile to Dr Levinson who felt that something had shifted in her attitude towards him, but he was not sure what that was. He would wait and see. He was a patient man when it came to Miss Diana.

However, Arthur's action did not go unnoticed by the rest of the adult group either. The Heywood parents exchanged a look that communicated that they would discuss this development later. Mr Thompson was also exceedingly glad to see something happening between the youngest Parker brother and Miss Emily.

Mr Thompson believed Mr Arthur really needed a good lady in his life and that Miss Emily would be just perfect for him. He got to know her a bit when he was at Willingden. This experienced lawyer could not help but think how much she deserved a considerate partner in her life and how well her temperament would suit a lively lad like Arthur. Mr Arthur, save Mr Sidney, was one of his favourites in the Parker family and he sincerely felt that he had not been given much of an opportunity to be happy.

Eventually the adults started departing from the room. Arthur, Dr Levinson and Diana wished everyone good night and departed. This left the Heywood parents, the children, Lady Susan, Anne and Frederick in the sitting room.

Subsequently, a decision had to be made about the rooms. It was swiftly decided that Mr Heywood would share a room with his wife. This left five remaining rooms for the Heywood family. Alison volunteered for Michael for share hers, Emily was to share with Laura, Christian with Ben, the first Heywood nursery nurse was to share a room with Thomas and Gina and finally the second Heywood nurse was to share a room with Beth. The whole family was tired by this point, so they bade Mr Thompson, Anne, Frederick and Lady Susan goodnight and departed for their respective rooms.

Mr Thompson offered to escort Lady Susan to her room. She accepted his offer graciously and they also left the room. This left only Anne and Frederick in the sitting room by themselves. Frederick was looking at Anne like a naughty schoolboy who had been caught stealing sweets from the shop. She only smiled indulgently and tutted loudly.

It was not often that her Frederick put a foot wrong. She was thoroughly enjoying the spectacle of her extremely handsome fiancé looking like a kicked puppy. Yet, she loved him too much to let him wallow in suspense for too long a time. She approached him and laid her head on his solid chest. He returned the embrace and drew her in to share his warmth. In truth they both were relieved to enjoy a moment of privacy after being surrounded by people throughout the day. They could each hear one another heave a huge sigh of relief and savour the feeling of their closeness.

This only lasted a moment or so though until Frederick felt Anne's quiet chuckle vibrating on his chest. He pushed her away from his chest for an inch or so to survey her bright, giggling face. He then enquired curiously in an amused voice, 'Annie, what are giggling about?'

Anne exclaimed, 'Why on earth, my love, did you look like a shocked rabbit when you saw Lady Susan? You need not have worried about her speaking to me. She is a very kind lady and she mentioned to me that you two already knew each other from when you were younger and that you would explain the circumstances. She was exceedingly nice to me. She even invited us to London to visit her and implored me that we apply to her should we ever require her assistance.'

Frederick looked stunned at this communication 'Really? And you are not upset?'

Anne looked at him in a bemused manner, 'My darling Frederick, no, I am not upset. Why should I be upset? You have never lied to me. Lady Susan was an acquaintance of yours when you were young. You love me, I love you. There is very little anyone can do to separate us after all that we have endured. Our love has endured the test of time.

You know, you hardly know the power your looks and charismatic character have over all the females who encounter you wherever you go. Do you realise that nearly all of them want you for themselves, but I am the only one who is privileged enough to have your love and full attention? Do you know how powerful that makes me feel?

No, my love, I am not worried. I am secure in your love and I bask in it like a cat basking under the hot summer sun. I only wish you would tell me what has had you so thoroughly worried today.'

Frederick could hardly contain his joy at her exclamation and gave his fiancée such a thorough kiss that he had to stop himself before he reached the point of no return and he could not control himself further. He has been patient all this time. Another two months would not hurt him.

Anne loved kissing him and this sudden kiss literally took her breath away. Her cheeks were stained in a very attractive red bright blush and she smiled up at him once the kiss ended. 'This is the Frederick that I know, and I adore. Now let us sit down and you can tell me all about it.'

She took his left hand and led him to the beige love seat at the edge of the table. Frederick sat down, asked her to sit in from him, and cuddled her sweetly from behind.

He told her about young Susan's visit to Liverpool, how they met at the local bookshop and talked about the same tome of poems that that they both wanted to purchase. He told her the story of two very young lovers with no experience of the real world and the havoc it could wreak in their lives. He told her how they fell in love at the young age of 17 and how they met at the park for several times during their brief courtship. How he wanted to marry her and she him and how they were thwarted by her parents who refused to consider him as their son-in-law due his poor financial prospects. He told her how a tear-stained 17-year-old Susan was forced to leave the city and him behind as he thought then broken hearted and how this had prompted him to prove to everyone how he could succeed despite their expectations.

Anne listened to him without interrupting and finally understood a part of him that he had unconsciously hidden from her without realising that he had done so. One of the real reasons why her abandonment of him had hurt him so much. It was because it had been the second time that a lady refused his suit in the same manner. She finally understood that him being rejected by the one he loved was one of his largest unnamed fears that he dared not voice aloud even to her.

He finished talking and held her close for a long moment. They were both silent for a little while before Anne ventured, 'I understand now why our initial parting hurt you so. You know, though, that I would never reject your love or push you away. You should not fear it so. Once we marry and we settle down, the fear will subside.'

Frederick could feel the last part of his soul mending after Anne's comment. He was so relieved that she understood him so well that a lone tear went down his cheek that Anne wiped with her thumb gently, turned around and gave a hearty kiss on the lips. The kiss was a promise and gave them both a sense of closure that all secrets have been shared and that they could carve a bright new future for themselves.

They stopped to breathe and looked at each other trying to compose themselves. Once he got back his voice, he told her with a voice shaking with of emotion, 'Annie, my love, some say love happens only once. Some say love can happen twice. However, I can say that I have fallen in love like a million times because every time I see you, I fall in love with you again and again.'.

Anne had tears in her eyes after hearing his words. She could only whisper, 'Oh Frederick...' and kissed him again. It was the only way to express how his words had made her feel all tingly, secure and loved. She was no poet and showing him her love was the only way she knew how to thank him for his beautiful words. They cuddled for some more minutes after their kiss until Frederik could feel Anne's eyes closing. He nudged her awake and escorted her to her room and then went to his own.


	21. Mr and Mrs Heywood talk

Meanwhile, there was a flurry of activity upstairs in the Heywood family rooms. The two nursery nurses, Emily and Alison were getting the younger children ready for bed. What with teeth needing to be brushed, helping them with their nightclothes, reading them stories and their parents kissing them goodnight, it took almost an hour for the youngest Heywood children to settle down and finally go to sleep.

Only then did both nursery nurses, Emily, Alison and both Heywood parents go to their respective rooms to retire for the night. Emily and Alison went to sleep dreaming of their young men. Emily was all aflutter as she thought of Mr Arthur Parker kissing her hand earlier in the evening and Alison's thoughts rested with her Mr Springer. They both had sweet dreams that night.

Mr and Mrs Heywood were finally at liberty to enjoy each other's company again in private. They had been apart too long so the moment their lips touched, clothes flew around the room and neither of them would be fit for conversation for a long time. They have been married for years. Yet, their spiritual and physical connection had never diminished for an instant. They were as eager to enjoy the physical aspects of their marriage now as when they were newlyweds.

After thoroughly celebrating being back together again, they lay in each other's arms, bare skin to bare skin, and enjoyed the simple pleasure of sharing the same bed again. That aspect of their separation had been the most trying for both them whilst they were in different parts of the country taking care of their children. It was two in the morning when husband and wife felt ready to start sharing with each other what has been happening both in Willingden and Sanditon.

Mrs Heywood started off by telling her husband in detail what had happened in Sanditon from the moment she arrived to find an unconscious Charlotte until their arrival today. She was relieved to finally be able to convey to him her despair, a despair that she could not then have shown to anyone else, when she beheld their daughter senseless on her bed. Just hearing his wife speak so of Charlotte made him weep openly. All she did was to continue her story and wipe his tears gently with her fingers from his cheeks.

She had his full attention. She told him of what the doctors had said, how they had nursed Charlotte back to consciousness. She told him of the diet their daughter had to follow, how kind the Sanditon people had been to her, how they all loved her very much and how nothing had worked for weeks until Mr Sidney Parker sent her a begging letter to read one of his letters to her. How the moment Charlotte had heard of the lines of the letter, she woke up and had a fit and a fever which had been her first sign of life for weeks. How their first born had nearly been lost until Mr Parker returned from London and brought her back to them.

Hearing this part of the story made Mr Heywood understand that he owed that young man so much that he could never really repay him. That young man deserved his precious daughter's love and he vowed not to deny him. He finally accepted the fact that Mr Sidney Parker and his Charlotte loved each other to distraction. He, as her father, would not separate them for all the gold the world. He would bring them together- they would be happy. He would ask this young man's help to tell Charlotte of her uncle's death. This made him feel better as he had dreaded telling his first born the news without her collapsing again. He hoped that Mr Parker's presence and support would stop that from happening.

He had been so lost in his thoughts that he did not realise that his wife had stopped talking. She was looking at him with a concerned expression on her face. He looked at her lovely face and knew that she had to know.

He caressed her cheek, a gesture which she knew that her husband only did when she had to impart bad news to her, and said gently, 'My darling wife, I have news that will pain you. Frederick brought us news that your uncle David died a year ago. I am sorry, my love. They buried him there as he died of typhus. We cannot bring him home.'

She looked at her husband's face and her brave façade crumbled to pieces. She had kept it on during Charlotte's illness but now hearing this piece of tragic news, that facade cracked wide open and grief poured out in a long wave of loud sobs.

He knew just what to do. He held his wife close as she kept on crying. He knew that her grief was not just for her uncle but for Charlotte as well. His wife was a brave woman. She could take a lot. However, this death and what she had endured and kept inside her for such a long time burst open the dam of her grief. She would be fine after a good cry.

A good cry she did have. It was a relief to let it all out. She felt lighter and kissed her husband heartily for letting her unburden herself to him. Thus, she composed herself after a long while and whispered to her husband 'How are we ever going to convey uncle David's demise to Charlotte? She worshipped the ground he walked on when she was younger. I am afraid it will worsen her condition. I don't want to lose her again.'

'Well, I have a plan. How about we tell Mr Sidney Parker first and we tell her tomorrow whilst he is with her in the room? He brought her back to us from an even worst predicament and their emotional connection is strong. He will be able to console her should we not be able to do so.'

She nodded, took heart and continued her story on what happened after Charlotte had woken up. Where they had been and what they had done. She told him how besotted Mr Sidney Parker was with Charlotte, what he had already done about her trousseau, her wedding dress, her engagement ring. He has spoilt her rotten as if she was his queen. She then confessed that she would not be surprised if he came to see them tomorrow asking them for Charlotte's hand in marriage instead of a courtship.

She then told him what has been going on in the Parker family, about Lady Susan and the Regent what the plans were about Mr Tom Parker and Sanditon. She went on to observe him with the mischievous look of hers and he knew that they would talk about their other two daughters. He winced and she felt it. She kissed him sweetly and long to soothe the pain before narrating the rest of her story.

She told him about Alison and Mr Stringer. How both desperately liked nay loved each other, but Mr Springer was shy in making any move towards giving their relationship any official status. Alison was getting desperate so Charlotte and herself had decided to help her and encourage him. Even Mr Sidney Parker was going to speak to the young man. Therefore, the gentleman was to join them for the picnic tomorrow.

They then discussed Emily and Mr Arthur Parker. They discussed how they saw their mutual attraction, but they came to the mutual decision to observe and perhaps discuss with Emily how she felt about the gentleman first.

Mr Heywood then grumbled aloud 'Wife, do I really need to lose all my three daughters in one go? Can we not keep them with us for a longer stretch of time?'

She giggled and patted him softly on the chest, 'Oh, my grumbly husband, is that your worry? We can make more daughters to replace the ones you are to lose.' She then proceeded to encourage him to do just that and no conversation took place again for a while.

Mr Heywood's side of the story followed that delightful interlude. He told her how Frederick, Anne and Mr Thompson came to visit them in Willingden. He told her that Frederick had received letter from uncle David's solicitor in the East Indies where it had stated that David had died of typhus and his will enclosed in the envelope. Frederick engaged Mr Thompson's services, who incidentally, happened to be dealing with the Parker family's legal affairs, and asked him to peruse the will and advise him further.

Mr Thompson conveyed to Frederick and himself that uncle David had left the Heywood family his entire fortune of £130,000. It was stipulated in the document that each parent and Heywood child were to receive £10,000. David indicated that part of the amount that Mr Heywood was to inherit was to be used to fix any repairs in the house and expand it as well as fixing any repairs on the estate. All the rest of the amount were to be put in saving accounts to accrue interest. The only difference was in what was left to Charlotte. Mr Thompson told Frederick that Charlotte had been left an extra £10,000 for the purpose of starting a school and a library. It was also expressly stipulated in the will that we were not to mourn him and to live their life as they would normally have done.

Mr Heywood then described how it would take at least two to three weeks for the house to be ready. He described what was currently happening at their house and estate at present. All the creaky floorboards were currently being repaired, the old furnishings were being updated and a new wing was currently being built at right side of the house. All the children's bedrooms were being extended and they would even have a guest room for any unexpected guests. He also said that repairs are also being done on the tenants' cottages and that their new steward was currently negotiating the prices for new farming equipment and looking into a new irrigation system.

Thus, he thought it the best time to move the children away from the noise and building work and visit Sanditon for a long visit. Naturally, Mr Thompson, Frederick and Anne followed. Talking about Frederick and Anne brought him in mind to tell his wife on how good Anne was with the children and some details about her relationship with Frederick.

He could sense his wife's excitement bubbling like an erupting volcano. She was listening to his words silently, but her eyes and alight face with happiness betrayed her happiness with all those plans. She was getting more and more excited. He could tell as her wide grin was threatening to escape her lips any moment. He finally stopped talking and watched her clever mind take it all in.

She looked at him and said excitedly, 'Do you mean to say, my darling husband, that all our children have dowries , that you have hired a steward to help you, that we are virtually going to have a brand new house and that you are to have more free time?'

He nodded and smiled widely at her. She then continued her speech, 'And that I have £10,000 all to myself to spend as I wish?'

He nodded again and smiled even wider. 'Oh, how wonderful!'. Then her smile faltered for a second. He knew that she was worried whether the children knew about this.

He went on to reassure her, 'No, my love, they do not. I could not take the risk telling them just in case any of them said something to Charlotte about David's sudden death. We will tell Emily, Alison and Charlotte together tomorrow. The rest of the children are too young to be concerned about this change in their fortune. However, our three daughters would certainly need to know especially now that they are interested in their young men.'

He then proceeded in telling her that he had changed his will and made sure that both her and the children were very well taken care of just in case anything went wrong.

They finally went through what they would discuss with Sidney tomorrow. They both agreed that they liked him very much and that they would gladly have him as their son-in—law. They would confide in him all about David's will and of his death. Charlotte would be in the Alison's room along with Emily and the children. They would then call Charlotte in the room and tell her the news in Sidney's presence. Once they had ensured that she had taken it well, they would call Mr Thompson in the room to tell her the rest of the legal details whilst they went to Alison's room to tell them about David's death and their dowries.

It was nearly four in the morning when they finished talking. They happily slept in each other's embrace knowing full well that this would be the best night's sleep that they have had in months.


	22. The Heywood Picnic

**"Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity." — Henry van Dyke**

Somehow the first day of August was to be an interesting day for many people. Strangely the connection of three cities- London, Brighton and Sanditon- was also to be stronger and more pronounced today more than any other day.

Two messengers in London were to change the fate of the Parker and the Heywood family fortunes. The first messenger delivered a message to Carlton Street in London from the Prince Regent to a grey-haired sleepy gentleman and the second one was sent to the Sanditon hotel by Mr Thompson's assistant to deliver two vital documents to his employer.

Seeing that the first messenger was local it certainly reached our honourable, grey-haired gentleman, who woke up at six in the morning after a restful sleep, much sooner. This said gentleman always woke up early even on his day off and on the weekends. This old gentleman was also quite famous. HIs name was John Nash, the famous architect.

He expected his Saturday to go as he had already planned. He was going to enjoy a leisurely breakfast at home, go for his weekend walk in Hyde Park and read his favourite book. He did not expect to be travelling anywhere especially after having just completed the Royal Pavilion in Brighton for the Regent which had earned him a very generous commission. However, the project itself had been a very difficult one to bring to its final fruition due to the Regent's extravagant and sometimes unreasonable requests.

Imagine this fatigued and overworked gentleman' surprise when he received a message from the Regent himself just after breakfast. The urgent message conveyed to this talented architect that his sovereign wanted him to travel to Sanditon to find Lady Susan. He was commissioned to get an update on the restoration of the town. He also wanted Mr Nash to inform the lady of his intention to visit the seaside town at the beginning of September to attend the summer ball.

His frustration reached boiling point after receiving such a request- he thought to himself without daring to voice the thought aloud that he was not the Regent's messenger boy- he was architect for heaven's sake! Yet he knew that he could not refuse this request no matter how ridiculous it seemed as he needed to secure the Regent's patronage for his next project.

It was bad enough that he was worried about not being able to find a decent assistant to help him with that new project. It was most frustrating that all the potential candidates turned out to be dandies and not ever worth speaking to! Not to mention their abominable drawing skills! He hated to admit it, but he was getting old and his energy was flagging. He would not give up, though. He would keep looking until he found the right person for the job.

He nursed his hot cup of coffee between his two hands savouring the warmth and consolation that it provided. The decision was an obvious one. He would fulfill the Regent's request. He sighed resignedly and decided to at least take advantage of this opportunity and breathe some fresh sea air. Who knows! He might just be able to rest there, which was certainly what was necessary for him at present. Thus, he sent a messenger to Sanditon to book him a room at the hotel where Lady Susan was staying. With any luck, he would have reached Sanditon by the time the hotel reservation had been taken care of. He also instructed his valet to prepare his things for a short stay at the seaside town.

Two hours later two new arrivals reached the Sanditon hotel. The first one was Mr Nash's very smart unmarked four-horse carriage that had left central London at six in the morning. You might wonder whether Mr Nash managed to read that book. Well, he did so and he even had a small nap during the carriage ride. He was satisfied that at least one of his goals for the day has been achieved.

His valet took care of the booking arrangements that had already been made on his master's behalf. Thus, our architect retired to his room to prepare for his day and maybe later join Lady Susan for a second breakfast and a cup of tea. His preparations took him a good half an hour as he had needed to change from his travelling attire and refresh himself with a bath to shake off the dust from the road.

The second one was the messenger for Mr Thompson. The receptionist made sure to deliver the message to the gentleman straight away. The lawyer was certainly surprised to receive a message from his assistant. There were no pending issues to be dealt with, so he had asked his assistant to log some of Parker family's documents and put them in some sort of order. They were all mixed up and it was extremely difficult to find anything at all.

He opened the missive and read it with interest. His assistant wrote to him that a letter from Mr Parker senior had been misfiled whilst it should have originally been included in his will. His ever-efficient assistant had sent it to him. It was all there in black and white. The letter stated clearly that should any mismanagement of the Parker fortune was to take place in the hands of Tom Parker, that he was to be disinherited and all the fortune was to revert to his siblings with Sidney as the main executor. His assistant also included a message from the Parker tenants asking to be released from the Parker family home.

Mr Thompson got up from his chair as if he had been poleaxed. He had forgotten! He was to go to the Trafalgar House this morning for the Parker family meeting! He did not have a minute to waste. He got ready as fast as he could, put both letters in his suit pocket folding very carefully and rushed to the receptionist asking for Mr Sidney Parker. He had to speak to him now!

The receptionist was not sure whether Mr Parker had woken up yet. The lady was dreading the gentleman's reaction. Though exceedingly handsome, Mr Sidney Parker really was a difficult customer to deal with when somebody upset him. Therefore, she was reluctant to comply with Mr Thompson's request at first as he knew of Mr Parker's temper. She sensed Mr Thompson urgency though and sent a servant to wake Sidney up. She hoped that he would understand.

Thus, a couple of minutes afterwards Sidney was being forcefully woken up after a heavy thud on the door. He grumbled and swore to himself as he shot up from the mattress. They had interrupted his dream! He was dreaming of Charlotte and it was a most pleasant dream! He sighed aloud and got up to read the missive that had been pushed under his door.

He could see that it was a message from Mr Thompson. The lawyer profusely apologised for the inconvenience of waking him up, but he must speak to him before he left for Trafalgar House as a matter of urgency. Sidney knew how efficient their family lawyer was. He would never have had Sidney woken up in this manner if it had not been vitally important. The lawyer also asked Mr Parker if he could kindly meet him at his room, that was only a couple of doors away from his, in 10 minutes' time. Sidney completed his morning absolutions swiftly and was dressed within the designated time. He found himself 10 minutes later knocking on Mr Thompson's door.

Mr Thompson opened the door and sighed with relief at the sight of Sidney. His voice betrayed that relief as he addressed his client, 'Mr Sidney, I am so relieved to see you and that you could make it. Please, do come in. I took the liberty to ask for breakfast to be delivered for both us of in my rooms.'.

Sidney walked into the room and the lawyer led him to a pleasant sunny sitting room where full breakfast with coffee and tea had been laid out. Both men were keen to break their fast before discussing anything at all. They ate their bacon and eggs hungrily and enjoyed their coffee. Mr Thompson even remember Sidney's weakness for chocolate.

Sidney grinned at him, 'Mr Thompson, have you been speaking to my housekeeper in London? How did you know about my weakness for chocolate cookies?'

Mr Thompson grinned back at him and responded with evident humour in his voice, 'Your father let it slip one day when we were lunching. Take it as an apology, sir, for dragging you from your bed so abruptly this morning.'

Sidney could only laugh aloud, and Mr Thompson joined him. They had a hearty laugh and then Sidney devoured his cookie whilst finishing the remainders of his coffee. He looked up expectantly at the lawyer.

Mr Thompson did not speak to start with. He simply took the two missives out of his suit pocket and gave them to Sidney to read. 'Please read the missives, Mr Sidney, and then we will talk.'

Sidney did as he was told. He read the missive from their tenants and smiled. Then, he read his father's instructions and he could not grasp what he was reading. His dearest wish was coming true. He had a way of getting Tom out of the picture permanently and legally. Sanditon and his family's future were safe!

He stuttered, 'Mr Thompson, how... when...?'

The lawyer understood his client's surprise, 'I was as surprised as you were when I read your father's instructions. My assistant was cataloguing the documents on your family's file at our offices. This letter had apparently been misfiled with an old contract. He sent to me this morning along with your tenants' letter.'

Sidney was still in shock. 'This means, then, that what we have been trying to do is now legal. Is that right?'

Mr Thompson smiled and nodded, 'Yes, Mr Sidney. It is. Mr Tom Parker cannot dispute it. We can make it even more official by me reading the document to your whole family later today. Would that suit?'

Sidney nodded energetically, 'Absolutely, Mr Thompson. That would really show Tom that it is a real legal document with our father's signature.'

Mr Thompson nodded his agreement, 'That is all settled then. How do you want to deal with the missive for your tenants?'

Sidney read it again, considered for a moment and replied, 'They say that they would vacate in fifteen days. That suits us admirably. Please send someone to inspect the building and assess any repairs that need to be done to the rooms as well as someone to work on the gardens. The repairs should start just after the tenants' moving out date, I would like it to be made habitable for Tom's family, Diana and Arthur by the end of August.

We should not need any new furniture in the Parker house but do make a list of what is already there for Mary and Diana to go through. They may spot something that has been missed out. Once they confirm, we could move some pieces of furniture from the other Parker-owned houses.

In addition to the above, please send two other people to inspect Trafalgar House and the house where Arthur and Diana live for any repairs. Those are to be prepared for new tenants and the repairs are to start straight away. We need to recap any previous losses and rent them out as soon as a suitable tenant becomes available.'

Mr Thompson was taking notes as Sidney was giving him his instructions. Knowing full well how efficient his client was, he already had ready blank paper to compose messages for the messengers to delivery both for Sidney and some for himself. Sidney took them and nodded gratefully at the older man- he thought to himself that this man was a prince amongst men for this thoughtfulness.

Firstly, started penning a message to Mr Stringer with instructions for further workers to be hired for the repairs in the Parker properties and the house he was to live with Charlotte. He would give it to the young man tomorrow afternoon during their meeting. Secondly, he wrote to their tenants acknowledging their request.

It is not to say that Mr Thompson was bone idle whilst Sidney was writing his messages. Not in the least. His first message was to his assistant. He wrote to him asking him to send down three surveyors by the middle of this week and to also send him by messenger the list of the furnishings of all the currently occupied Parker residences and the lease forms for new tenants. He also informed him that he would stay in Sanditon at least for an extra week and to forward any urgent missives from their other clients to him to the Sanditon hotel. His second message was to his wife and children informing them of the intention to extend his stay at the seaside town.

Mr Thompson enquired after Sidney's messages, 'My messages are done, Mr Sidney. Shall we send them off?'

Sidney handed his letter to their tenants and Mr Thompson rang for the bell. A maid showed up who took the messages and took them to the receptionist. The messengers were on their way to their destinations within 5 minutes of her leaving the room.

'All done, Mr Sidney. I have asked my assistant to get the surveyors to Sanditon at the beginning of the week. I will undertake to make a list of the furniture at your paternal home and other Parker residences myself. Would you want to employ some workers from Sanditon for the repairs?'

Sidney nodded again, 'Yes, Mr Thompson, that would be best. I will speak to Mr Stringer as soon as you give me the list of repairs that need to be made on each house.'

He paused to collect his thoughts and a huge grin graced his face, 'There is also another reason why the repairs need to be done fast. You see, Miss Heywood has accepted my hand in marriage. I hope to speak to her father today to make it official. If all things go as planned, then we are to be married by the end of August.'

Mr Thompson smiled at the young man and shook his hand heartily, 'Congratulations, Mr Sidney. You will be very happy. She is a beautiful, clever and worthy young lady. She reminds me of my Margaret when she was younger.'

Just mentioning Charlotte's name and somebody else praising her virtues made Sidney grin wider, 'Yes, I am an extremely lucky man, Mr Thompson. Do you have the time by any chance?'

Mr Thompson looked at his watch, 'It is just after nine in the morning. When is your meeting to start?'

Sidney said, 'Just after nine thirty. Would you walk to Trafalgar house with me? Please make sure that you keep my father's letter with you. I will get my hat, outerwear and the documents I need. I will then meet you at the reception area in five minutes' time. Thank you so much for alerting me so promptly. It is very much appreciated. I will see you shortly.' Both men, then, shook hands and Sidney departed for his room.

He had a spring in his step as he hopped around his bedroom like an excited rabbit checking the documents he needed for the meeting with his siblings and the ones for Charlotte's father. In no time at all, he joined Mr Thompson for the short walk to Trafalgar House.

In the meantime, at eight thirty Mr Nash was on his way to the dining room to find Lady Susan being surrounded by a large family of very well-behaved children and other adults. Lady Susan was just about to sit down and start her breakfast of hot toast and hot chocolate when she spotted him at the door of the sitting room looking unbelievingly at the large group of people in the dining room. It was no small wonder he did that as the whole room had been completely taken over by the Heywood clan and their guests.

'Mr Nash, what a pleasant surprise this is! Do come and join us and allow me to introduce you to my friends.' said she whilst smiling at him brightly.

'Lady Susan, I would be delighted to join you. Lead the way. However, I am come here with a message for you. Please grant me some of your precious time to convey it to you later today. It is from our common friend.'

Lady Susan nodded her assent to the plan and led him to the group. She introduced him to the Heywood parents, their children, Anne, Frederick and Dr Levinson, whom Mr Nash already knew. He was seated next to Dr Levinson to make him feel more comfortable during the meal.

The meal continued after the introductions had taken place with the minimum fuss. The newcomer originally thought that such a disruption would have made the younger members of the group pay him unnecessary attention as it had sometimes happened in London. However, to his relief, this was not the case. The children concentrated on their breakfast, the adults spoke pleasantly to each other and he enjoyed a hot cup of tea and a scone whilst enjoying his conversation with Dr Levinson who had Mr Nash's full attention as he was recounting the events that had brought him to Sanditon and his plans to make it his base of operations.

Mr Nash was full of wonder. How did this small seaside town even manage to seduce the illusive and industrious Dr Levinson of Harley Street, the sweetheart of the upper classes? He was reaching the conclusion that there must be something quaint and special about the place. He was indeed really looking forward to finding out exactly what that was.

The breakfast meal was over in record time. The children were bundled upstairs to be made ready for the picnic and the Heywood parents excused themselves to make their way to Trafalgar House. Frederick and Anne also left to retrieve their outerwear as they were to lead the group to the picnic location. This left Lady Susan, Dr Levinson and Mr Nash in the dining room. She invited both gentlemen to follow her to the sitting room where they could speak more freely. This was a very well-timed request seeing that the rest of the guests were coming down to the sitting room to break their fast.

The two gentlemen and the lady thus entered an empty sitting room and settled on the sofa. Mr Nash was still full of wonder and he exclaimed, 'I have never spent a more pleasant breakfast meal with children being present. How did they get them to behave so well? If that were in London, they would have removed the youngest children from the room instantly!'.

Lady Susan and Dr Levinson only smiled at each other, but Lady Susan was the one who responded to her guest, 'Mr Nash, no wonder you are surprised. The Heywoods are an extraordinarily genteel family. Both Mr and Mrs Heywood have instilled in their children from a very young age the principle that tantrums would not gain them any favours. They are always well behaved, and it is truly a pleasure to be around them. '

Dr Levinson went on, 'They are indeed a wonderful family. I thoroughly agree with Lady Susan.'

Mr Nash was eager to learn more of the family, 'However did you make their acquaintance, Lady Susan? I am all curiosity'.

Lady Susan then told her guest what brought both Dr Levinson and her in Sanditon. She told him how she made the acquaintance of Charlotte at Mrs Maudley's ball in London, how she came to Sanditon to visit the young lady as well as about Dr Levinson's and her intention to purchase one of the completed apartments each. She also casually mentioned they were to meet with Mr Stringer, the project manager to review the sketches for their new houses.

Mr Nash's interest was immediately piqued at that information as Lady Susan expected it would have been. She wanted to help Alison and Mr Stringer and Mr John Nash was instrumental to her plans. She had to keep him on their side and interest him in the apartments.

'Apartments, you say? Has this Mr Stringer drawn the architectural designs himself? Would he think me to be terribly presumptuous if I had a peak at them?' Architecture was our Mr Nash's passion and the opportunity to view some new architectural designs was not to be missed at any cost. He felt like a child who was eager to visit his favourite candy shop. He was even more excited than normal because this young man could well become his new apprentice. He really looked as excited as Arthur when he was enjoying his buttered muffins!

Lady Susan smiled at her success. She had him in her power now. This was the first step. She just hoped Mr Stringer's plans were good enough. Those were her silent thoughts, but she commented instead, 'I am sure Mr Stringer would be happy to grant your request. The gentleman is to join our picnic today. I will introduce him to you once he arrives. You can even ask him yourself. I will also introduce you to the Parker family and especially Mr Sidney Parker who is the brains behind this project. The Parker family will join us for the picnic this afternoon as they had a previous appointment this morning.'

Mr Nash was delighted with her response, 'Wonderful news. I look forward to that.' Lady Susan then skilfully turned the conversation to what has been happening in London and asked Mr Nash to tell them. He obliged and thus regaled them with the latest scandals. He also discreetly conveyed his message to Lady Susan about the regent's visit at the beginning of September. She understood. She realised that August would be a very busy month after all! What with the rebuilding of the apartments and the summer ball to organise!

In the meantime, Mr and Mrs Heywood were in Trafalgar House. They arrived at five minutes past nine finding the house to be very quiet. Mrs Heywood was used to seeing one servant or another on her visits there. However, she was not surprised to find May opening the door for them. She remembered that she had given the servants the day off.

The Parker children and Charlotte had already breakfasted, so they were ready to go with them. Both parents greeted their daughter with a warm hug. They noticed her happy face and her engagement ring, which meant that had no doubt at all what happened the night before. They asked Mary for some time with their daughter and followed her to her room.

Charlotte was bursting to confide to her parents. The moment the door was closed, she told them of Sidney's proposal. Mrs Heywood was delighted with the news and she hugged her daughter anew from her excitement. Mr Heywood was taking it all in. His Charlotte was getting married! Both ladies looked at him expecting his reaction. Charlotte got all nervous and asked hesitantly, 'Papa?'

He realised that he had been absorbed in his thoughts for a moment too long. He sought to reassure his first born. 'I am well Charlotte and very happy to hear your news. I was just thinking that you have grown up so fast. I approve of this match. We owe Mr Sidney Parker more than we can possibly ever be able to repay for bringing you back to us. He is a worthy young man and he loves you very much.

Your mother and me will speak to him after the picnic. We want you to join Alison and Emily after the picnic and wait in Alison's room. We will speak to him alone first and we will then call you in the room.'

Charlotte beamed at her father's words and ran to hug him, 'Oh, thank you Papa! He is really the best man for me! I love him so very much!'

Mr Heywood hugged his daughter back and noticed how his wife had tears of happiness running down her cheeks. He knew than that he had done something that pleased her. He was glad. He liked making his wife happy.

The beautiful moment between Charlotte and her parents had only lasted ten minutes or so before they heard a knock on the door. Charlotte bade the visitor in the room. It was Mary. Charlotte looked at her parents, they nodded their permission and Charlotte rushed to hug Mary. Mary was shocked at this, but she returned the hug, nonetheless.

'Charlotte, whatever is the matter?', asked Mary with a concerned face.

'Mary, Mary we will be sisters! Sidney asked me to marry him yesterday!', Charlotte exclaimed excitedly.

Mary's concerned face changed to a face of extreme happiness and a huge grin appeared on her face. 'That is such wonderful news, my dear Charlotte! I wish you both joy! Welcome to the family.'

Charlotte beamed at her future sister, 'Thank you Mary. Are the children ready to go?'

Mary laughed aloud at the question, 'They are so ready that they would have burst into the room themselves unless I promised to bring you all three downstairs in the next 5 minutes.'

The whole group laughed at the comment and joined Mary downstairs where they found three very excited children greeting their uncles Sidney and Arthur as well as their aunt Diana and Mr Thompson. Tom was still absent from the room.

The children noticed the three Heywoods and ran to them exclaiming all three at the same time, 'Can we go now?' All the adults laughed at this. Mary bid her children goodbye and reassured them that she would see them this afternoon. She then led Arthur, Diana and Mr Thompson to the sitting room, winked at Sidney and left Sidney alone with Charlotte and her parents. Mr and Mrs Heywood took the children outside silently communicating with their daughter that she had a minute to bid her fiancé good morning.

Only then did Sidney and Charlotte dared look at each other. She smiled her brilliant smile at him and the knot that he had been feeling all morning simply disappeared. He could not help but smile back at her.

She took his hand and brought him to the study where she lost no time kissing him senseless. He was taken aback at first. Yet, it did not take him long to catch up and ravish her with his mouth, holding her warm body plastered to his. After a moment of two, Charlotte broke the kiss and whispered to him, 'Papa said yes, Sidney! We are officially engaged!'

Sidney's face was alight with happiness. He kissed her again more deeply than before and twirled a giggling Charlotte around the room. He ended up saying. 'Charlotte, Charlotte! I am officially the happiest man in the world!'

Charlotte replied with a wink at him, 'That makes me then the happiest woman in the world then in return!'

She then went all serious and told him, 'Good luck today, darling. The meeting will go fine. Keep those negative thoughts at the very back of your mind. Promise me.'

Sidney looked at her sheepishly, 'You knew that I would fuss over this, didn't you?'

She beamed at him, 'I did. That is why I told you about papa's consent to our engagement first thing. I knew you would fuss about two things today. The first one would be papa's response to our engagement and the second one would be your meeting with Tom. I cannot help you with the second. However, I can reassure you of the first.'

He gave her a grateful glance, kissed her gloved hand and hugged her. He whispered in her ear, 'Not only I am the happiest man in the world, but I am also the luckiest one to have you in my life'. He then proceeded to tell her in whispers what he had discussed with Mr Thompson. She took it all in and she was awed at how beautifully everything was coming together.

They stayed embraced until they heard a knock on the door. It was the sign that Charlotte was to join her parents. She gave him a quick peck on the lips, smiled at him and left the room leaving him to grin like a fool. He did not follow her out of the room, though. He poured himself a stiff drink of brandy instead to prepare for the ordeal to come as he waited for the rest of his relatives and Mr Thompson to join him.

Charlotte found her parents waiting for her outside and they set out for the hotel in high spirits. They arrived just after nine thirty at the sitting room. The maid approached Mrs Heywood informing her that the rest of the group left with the food and that Mr Stringer was waiting for them at the reception area. Mr Heywood took his cue, smiled at his ladies and went to fetch the young man whilst they entertained the children.

Mr Heywood arrived at the reception to find a tall, lanky young man walking back and forth in agitation. He had to admit to himself that his daughters certainly chose good looking men for their partners in life. She could just imagine how well suited his Alison would be this young man.

He approached and said aloud, 'Mr Stringer? I am Mr Heywood. Thank you for accepting our picnic invitation. Will you come with me to the sitting room?'

Mr Stringer was tongue tied for a second. This was miss Alison's father! He did not know how he would be received, and he fretted all the way to the hotel. However, seeing this friendly welcome untied his tongue and he found himself saying, 'The honour was mine to receive your kind invitation, Mr Heywood.' He then followed his host to the sitting room. Mrs Heywood and Charlotte welcomed him as soon as they saw him. Mrs Heywood then asked them all if they were ready to go and five of them made their way to the picnic spot. They made a quick stop to pick Georgiana and the Beaufort sisters as the house was on the way.

They found the picnic sport easily enough. They could not miss the excited voices of the youngest Heywood children. They now agreed with Mr Arthur that the place had been ideal for this picnic. It was a sheltered nook of the beach with very few people around and shallow paddles. Their whole group was spread on five blankets. The food was placed on the middle blanket and everyone else was using the rest of the blankets to sit down and enjoy the sunny day.

The moment they came into view a throng of children approached them and took the three Parker children into their folds. Some of the children were building sandcastles with the help of their nurses and older siblings, others were playing tag and running around excitedly. Anne was helping one of the group of children with their sandcastle, Frederick and Dr Levinson were running around with the boys playing tag and Lady Susan was sitting down with a guest talking amicably.

Charlotte joined the third group of her siblings on the sandcastle building activities along with Georgiana and the Beaufort sisters leaving her parents, Lady Susan, Mr Stringer and Mr Nash to their introductions and discussions. Lady Susan took the opportunity to introduce Mr Stringer to Mr Nash and then fell into easy conversation with Mr and Mrs Heywood.

Mr Stringer was thunderstruck to discover that he had just been introduced to his idol, Mr John Nash! He could not believe his ears when he heard Mr Nash's request to view his Sanditon architectural plans. He quickly and enthusiastically assented to the request. Both men then proceeded to discuss Mr Nash's last project and the merits of using one sort of carving versus another one.

Mr Nash was impressed. If this young man really rang true and his skill was what he suspected it to be, then it meant only one thing. It meant that he had just found his newest apprentice. He would wait until he saw the designs before making his final decision. He realised that he owed the Regent a great debt, indeed.

Lady Susan kept an ear out for Mr Nash's conversation with Mr Stringer. Judging from Mr Nash's reaction to the young man, she would bet half her fortune that Mr Stringer had just won himself an apprenticeship. She knew that Mr Nash was a methodical and careful man when it came to his apprentices. If he did find that Mr Stringer's designs were good enough, then Mr Stringer would be granted both his most earnest wish for an apprenticeship and the possibility to gain Alison's hand in marriage.


	23. A fateful meeting

A lonely, dejected figure was sitting on the sand at the far end of the beach gazing at the calm sea. He was enjoying the calming sound of the crashing waves on the rocks whilst carving a piece of wood with intent as a means of expressing his frustration. His whole attention was on the dolphin's tail and eyes. He was about to finish the left eye when he was suddenly interrupted by a gentleman.

The man looked up to the man who blocked his view to the sea and deprived him of the warmth of the sun. He lifted his eyes and he was surprised to see a man who seemed to be familiar to him. Yet, he could neither place him nor remember where he had seen him in the past.

The man who was carving the dolphin was Mr Tom Parker and the gentleman who interrupted his carving adventures was a Mr James Smith, his childhood friend. Tom's eyes lit up as he recognised the friend that he had had to give up upon his father's request when he was just a young boy.

He got up with a start from the ground to shake his friend's hand heartily. 'James! It has been years since we have spoken! How are you, my friend? It has been years since I have last seen you!'

James grinned happily and shook Tom's hand as energetically. 'Tom! I thought that it was you I saw. I see that you still remember our childhood hideaway. Let us sit down and catch up!'.

Both men sat down on the warm sand and started conversing animatedly. James told his friend about his carving apprenticeship in London and gave him an update on his family. He told Tom that he had just moved back to Sanditon with his mother and sister to find premises to start working as a wood carver. He also mentioned that he was in search of a wood carving apprentice and directed a question directly to Tom whether he knew of someone with a twinkle in his eye after eyeing the excellent carving of the dolphin figurine.

Tom listened to his childhood friend's plans with fascination and he was startled back from his reverie when he heard of his question about a new apprentice. He did not respond straight away but looked at the wooden dolphin figurine that he had been carving. He did not know what to say. He was battling his earnest desire to improve his skill as a wood carver and satisfy his childhood dream.

He thought to himself how happy he had been as a child when he was carving a plain piece of wood and creating something new. When his father forbade him to continue with his carving, Tom had been heartbroken. He felt as if a hand clenched at his heart and that he was to lose his heart's desire. He tried to please his father by learning about business and finance in general. He did his best, but his brain was simply not so inclined. He had always been a creative man, so neither business nor finance was his forte.

Thus, upon the death of his father, he abandoned any chance of fulfilling his dream. He had the burden of protecting all his three siblings and his own family later. He loved them all. He, then, did his very best to use his creativity on Sanditon . He remembered that he had been so very excited and happy. He focused all his energy on his new dream even at the risk of ignoring his family's wishes and dreams.

When everything went wrong after the fire and his world collapsed, he had been a desperate man. The only thing that had kept him sane was Mary and the children. After Mary's ultimatum that he chose between his Sanditon dream and his family, the last walls of his crumbling heart fell, and he became even more desperate. He knew that he could not face either Mary or Sidney before having another plan in place. He could not sleep and left the house at three in the morning. He had walked on for hours until he decided to go for a swim to clear his head. Once that was done, he wandered to his current spot and decided to practise his carving- an activity that had always helped him think in the past.

Tom was still so deeply lost in his thoughts that he had still not responded to his friend. This puzzled James and was immediately concerned. He frowned and enquired 'Tom, what is amiss?'

He lifted his head and looked at his friend, 'James, I have not been the best person to be around these past years. I have made many mistakes that have made many people very unhappy.'

James was puzzled and encouraged his friend to speak further, 'Go on Tom. Tell me what has been happening.'

Tom was relieved to be able to speak to a friend and felt a burden lift from his shoulders. He told James all ever since they had parted ways. James simply listened and goaded Tom on when he faltered.

When Tom's narration finished, both friends remained quiet for some minutes. They enjoyed the morning breeze and allowed the sound of the waves to distract them from their thoughts. James was the first one to speak.

'Well, Tom, you have been busy. Let us have a look at that dolphin of yours.'

Tom gave his friend his first genuine smile and put the dolphin in his hands. James inspected the item carefully and smirked at his friend, 'My, my Tom, I see that your skill as a carver has not diminished. You are still very good. How would you like to be my apprentice?'

Tom was flabbergasted by the request and smiled widely. He nodded effusively and nearly screeched at his enthusiastic response 'I would love to be your apprentice, James.'

James laughed aloud at this pronouncement. Both friends then proceeded in discussing the finer details of their plan with no concern to their surroundings or the passing of the time. Their conversation was interrupted by the excited squeals of a group of children who were approaching their spot on the beach.

They were still earnestly continuing their discussion when the voices of two young girls interrupted them. Tom looked up and beheld his daughters Alicia and Jenny calling him. He got up all excited to see them, scooped them in his arms and sat them down on his knees. He then turned to James and introduced the two little girls to him.

Alicia and Jenny looked at the strange man and then back at their papa. Alicia was the first to speak both their thoughts aloud, 'Who are you?'. Tom and James laughed loudly at that pronouncement. James was the one who responded to Alicia, but he addressed both girls

'Well, Miss Alicia and Jenny, I am a friend of your papa's. You see, we grew up together. We have not seen each other for a very, very long time. It is lovely to make both your acquaintance.'

He then got up and bowed deeply in front of them. Both Alicia and Jenny giggled uncontrollably at his exaggerated bow. Jenny remarked, 'You are a very funny man!'

Both friends laughed again loudly. Tom continued the conversation and showed his daughters the dolphin that he had been carving. The two girls could not believe that their papa had created this lovely dolphin and urged him to carve another one for them. James winked at Tom and passed him a small piece of wood that he happened to have in his pocket. Tom took it with a smile, brought out the pocket know from his pocket and within minutes there was another smaller version of the same dolphin.

His daughters got up from his lap excitedly, took both dolphins, hugged him tightly and ran to show them to their playmates. James looked at his friend with a searching look and commented, 'Tom, your daughters are delightful creatures. You are a very lucky man. Not many men are as lucky as you are, you know. My only family are my mother and sister. I would have loved to have a family of my own, though. A beautiful wife and a couple of children would have been my heart's desire.'

Tom was focused on his daughters and his eyes were misty with emotion when he turned them to his friend, 'James, I have not been the best of husbands. My wife has given me an ultimatum, as she should, that I need to choose between the Sanditon project and my family. She is right, of course, as I have hurt her feelings and ignored her repeatedly. I adore her and our children. Yet, I need a purpose. Just them is not enough. I need another passion to live for.'

James laughed uproariously at that comment, 'Tom Parker, quit feeling sorry for yourself right now. Your passion is your carving. Have you not figured it out yet? You are exceedingly good at it and have a knack of creating beautiful things faster than anyone I know. No one can stop you from doing what you want to do- your father is long gone, and you are no longer a child. You are a grown man who needs to learn to make informed and wise decisions for his future. As my apprentice you can reach for the stars once you perfect your skill. I can vouch for that.

What do you need Sanditon for? You said yourself that you are no good at business and finance. You need to love what you do and do what you love. That is the joy of following your passion.

You can have both. Your family and your passion. The apprenticeship is on very easy terms. I cannot pay you a high amount, you understand, but you will have enough to spoil your children and wife with treats when you wish. The hours are only in the mornings and then you can spend the afternoon with your wife and children. You have your family who love you. At least your daughters do as far as I can see. Just look at how they hugged you before they left to play. Balance is the key here, my friend.'

Tom gasped at James's words. He finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. His friend was perfectly correct. What did he need Sanditon for when it had only brought him and his family misery? He could do what he loved. He could also work on his marriage and spend time with his children. He could see them growing up, take an active part in their daily life and live a happy life.

He turned to his friend, 'You are absolutely right, James. I don't need Sanditon . I need to work on what I love. I say, do you know what the time is?' James took out his watch, looked at it and responded, 'It is ten in the morning. Do you need to be somewhere?'

Tom got up to dust his clothes from the sand and gave his friend his hand to get up. 'James, you will never know how our conversation has changed my path in life. I must speak with my family at home. They are expecting me. I would like to extend an invitation to tea to your mother, your sister and yourself. Join us tomorrow at 15.00. You can then meet my wife and children properly and we can discuss the details on the apprenticeship further.'

James shook his friend's hand and gladly accepted the invitation, 'I will see you then. I look forward to telling your children all the mischief we got into when we were children. We are currently staying at the Sanditon hotel if you want to look us up. Until tomorrow, my friend.'

Both men parted feeling very happy for this unexpected reunion. It was just what they both needed. Tom needed a friend to support him and James was delighted to be reunited with the childhood friend, whom he had dearly missed. The fact that he had gained an apprentice was certainly an extra bonus. He departed for the hotel eager to tell his mother and sister.

He found both his mother and sister eagerly awaiting him at their shared private sitting room in their hotel suite. He told them about Tom, the apprenticeship and the tea invitation, which pleased them immensely. They were looking forward to renewing their acquaintance with the Parker family.


	24. Picnic happenings

Tom walked with a swagger towards Trafalgar House. He was so absorbed in planning what he would say to his siblings and wife once he got there that he was oblivious to having passed by the Heywood picnic party spot. Two people did notice his sudden appearance on the beach, though. That was Charlotte, who happened to be helping Jenny build a castle wall at the time and Lady Susan who narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously whilst continuing her conversation with Mr Nash.

Charlotte felt a wave of anxiety ripple through her. Her mind went to overdrive. What was Tom doing at the beach? Was he not supposed to meet Sidney and the others at Trafalgar House? Did something go wrong?

Jenny noticed Charlotte's worried face and touched her arm to get her attention. She remembered her mother's advice that Charlotte had to be kept happy and she did not want her friend to go away again! 'Charlotte, Charlotte! Help me build a bath for my dolphin!'

Charlotte snapped to attention at Jenny's voice and focused her attention on the little girl, 'Why, Jenny, what a marvellous dolphin it is! We shall build him a bath to swim in. Who gave it to you?'

The little girl giggled merrily and replied in a matter-of-fact way, 'My papa did, of course! Me and Alicia saw him with his friend James near the cove. He made one for me and one for Alicia. It is a secret Charlotte. Don't tell Henry, please! He doesn't have one and he would take this one away from me!'

Charlotte reassured Jenny that she would not say a word and asked Jenny whether she could play with it for a while whilst she started building the walls of the bath. Jenny nodded and put the dolphin in Charlotte's outstretched palm. She admired it exceedingly. It was masterfully done. Who would have known that Tom Parker had been hiding such a talent behind his jovial interior and absentmindedness? Who was James? She made a mental note to speak to Sidney about this at the earliest opportunity.

Jenny again demanded her full attention as the bath walls had been built. Charlotte praised the little girl's efforts and went with her to the sea to gather some water to fill it. She knew that it would be absorbed by the sand straight away, but she really did not have the heart to dash Jenny's youthful hopes for her dolphin's bath. Thus, she smiled indulgently as Jenny added the water in bath hole with immaculate precision and gave her dolphin an imaginary bath telling him a story about a mermaid.

The rest of the party continued having a merry time. There were running games as well as sandcastle competitions between the girls and the boys. The adults have even been roped in to help. Every single person at the picnic was divided in two groups under the supervision of Dr Levinson. He was assigned to be the judge and to the children's satisfaction and the adults' mirth took his role seriously. He checked upon everyone's progress and reminded them of how much time they had left before the end of the competition. The first one was the one for the men and the boys and the second one for the ladies and younger girls. Everyone took part. Even Lady Susan and Mr Nash.

Mr Nash was a very happy man when anybody asked him to build anything for them. He was paired with two of the Heywood boys, Thomas and Christian, Mr Tom Parker's son, Henry as well as Frederick. Mr Nash and Frederick focused their efforts in helping the boys with their sandcastle exchanging pleasantries about the places that Frederick has travelled to.

He could not remember when it was the last time that he had built a sandcastle or when he had had a most pleasant conversation on travelling. Could it have been when he was 6 years old? That long ago? Oh, what fun he had been missing out of! He felt young again and helping the two boys build their castle confirmed in his mind the worthiness of the Parker and Heywood family. No wonder everyone is besotted with this place!

On the one hand, both Heywood boys were polite, exceedingly well behaved and very talented in building structures. They had the makings of two very worthy gentlemen, indeed! They asked him intelligent questions which proved to him that they read extensively under the supervision of their eldest siblings. They gave him an enthusiastic account of the favourite hut, which they built themselves with some help from their papa. They told him of their fishing adventures and picnics. It all sounded so idyllic and innocent!

On the other hand, Henry Parker was a very polite little boy as well. He had the uncanny ability to give you facts on all manners of topics around the natural environment. His knowledge was truly impressive for a boy of that age. He was a bit shy at first, but both Thomas and Christian brought him out of his shell as soon as their castle building adventure had begun.

Mr Heywood was also having a wonderful time in the company of Mr Stringer, Michael and Ben. It was a great opportunity to spend time with his sons and get to know Mr Stringer at the same time. He quickly concluded that his daughters had excellent taste in young men. His Charlotte chose a prince amongst men for her future husband and Alison could not go wrong with Mr Stringer. He was a polite, considerate young man who made the effort to get to know both the boys and him. He got on with the boys exceedingly well. He must be good at his job as well if his sand-building skills went anything to go by.

The ladies were divided into different groups as well. Lady Susan was paired up with young Beth and one of nursery nurses. Lady Susan was vastly amused and charmed by the clumsy efforts of young Beth trying to build her sandcastle. The little girl was enthusiastic in all she did. This must have been how Charlotte was when she younger.

Mrs Heywood was having a great time as well. She was enjoying spending time with Gina. It was so lovely to be able to give her full attention to one child and so rewarding to have all her family around her. She was a very happy woman today.

Alison was helping Laura and Alicia with their structure. Both girls took their task very seriously and they were hard taskmasters in bossing Alison around in fixing things for them. Alison found it endearing and dared not laugh as much as she had wanted to do so. Yet, she could not help stealing glances at Mr Stringer and to her delight he was discreetly doing the same thing!

Charlotte was still helping Jenny with her sandcastle. Both were joined by Anne who took the chance to speak to Frederick's cousin without any distractions whilst accommodating Jenny's requests of assistance on her sandcastle. They enjoyed their discussion so much that by the time the sandcastle had been built, they were on first name terms to Frederick's delight, who was watching his fiancée talking to his favourite cousin. Charlotte had always held a special place in his heart so seeing her get on so well with Anne made him exceedingly happy.

Finally, Emily was relishing the chance to spend time with Mary. Her sister was growing up fast and she had question after question for Emily whilst they were building the castle with the help of the nursery maid.

All the different groups worked diligently indeed. It took them a good hour and a half to finish their creations. Dr Levinson triumphantly announced that Mr Nash's team was the winner. By that time both adults and children were tired, and lunch was to be served. Everyone partook of the food without protest. The food made the children very drowsy, so to the unexpressed relief of the adults the nursery nurses put them on two of the blankets where they had their naps.

This gave the adults a window of opportunity for supervised walks. Frederick immediately claimed Anne's hand and asked Dr Levinson and Charlotte whether they would accompany them. Then, Mr Stringer asked Alison and Lady Susan accompanied them with Mr Nash and Emily. This gave the Heywood parents the chance for some time for themselves.

Dr Levinson thought this was an admirable opportunity to check upon his patient. He did notice Charlotte's worried look earlier and addressing her concerns now might well prevent future health problems. Charlotte and her doctor were still walking behind Frederick and Anne, but they did keep a respectful distance to give the betrothed couple some space.

Charlotte looked up at Dr Levinson hesitantly. He noticed her nervousness and said gently, 'Miss Heywood, I am your doctor. Anything that you tell me will not go further especially if it has to do with your health. Go ahead, ask away.'

She smiled gratefully at him. She was dreadfully nervous about voicing her thoughts aloud, 'You are very kind, Dr Levinson. I was wondering about my heart condition. Is it healed? Do I still need to be vigilant? Will it affect me when I get very upset? You see, doctor, Mr Sidney Parker asked me to marry him. I have accepted. He is to seek my father's permission today. I want to live and have my own children. I want to laugh and cry without having to worry about me going into a coma or not.'

She was out of breath by the time she finished her short speech, which did not go unnoticed by Dr Levinson. His heart bled for this young lady, who was so full of life, and yet any strong grief could have serious repercussions on her health. He struggled to find the words to tell her this.

He chose his words carefully, 'Miss Charlotte, your concern is justified and please forgive me for speaking so plainly to you. Your condition has not changed. It is still the same. However, something substantial has changed. You are in love and very happy with Mr Sidney Parker and he with you. A heart that is in love, a happy heart will live a long life. He was the one who brought you back to us after all.

You also have very wise parents. They have given you a happy and carefree childhood. This is what you needed to remain healthy. You say that you wish to create your own family with Mr Parker, which is the most wonderful of news and I congratulate you both from the bottom of my heart.

You and I both know that life is not always full of happiness, though. There will be sorrows and deaths. You were worried earlier when you saw Mr Tom Parker go past. Young Jenny caught your distress on time and distracted you. You need a support network; you need to be around people who make you happy. Surround yourself with them, my dear Miss Charlotte and actively avoid any circumstances that may upset you. If there is no way to avoid any unpleasantness, any grief that you get in future can be mitigated by your positive support network.'

Your heart condition will not stop you from having children. It may be wise to have a doctor present in the birth just in case anything untoward happens and insist upon the presence of your future husband and mother in the room no matter how much any midwife finds it unorthodox. Remember, Miss Charlotte, your positive support network. It will keep you alive!'

Charlotte nodded at him, 'That is excellent advice, doctor. I shall remember and cherish it. I thank you for speaking the truth to me. One more question, if I may. Is my condition something that I could pass on to my children?'

Dr Levinson thought for a moment before saying with a confident voice, 'The chances of that are very slim as far as we know. None of your other siblings suffer from it and none of your parents or other family do.'

She breathed a sigh of relief, smiled widely at him and moved on to discuss his plans on his practice in Sanditon . They continued with that conversation for the duration of their walk.

In the meantime, Frederick and Anne were enjoying their time together. They talked about the picnic, Anne's discussion with Charlotte, Frederick's discussion with Mr Nash. Anne was telling him how delighted she was to spend some time with Charlotte, 'She is a special young lady, is she not darling?'

Frederick smiled at his Annie, 'Yes, she is. She has always been one of my favourite cousins. She is a bright, happy creature who deserves all the love she can get. I hope Mr Sidney Parker gives her that.'

Anne grinned at him merrily, 'Oh, he is as besotted with her as you are with me, I dare say. Did you know that he wanted to beat you black and blue when you were telling us your story in the sitting room and all the other ladies were mooning over your good looks? Charlotte explained things to him, and she fully expects both of you to be the best of friends, my love. In fact, so do I.'

Frederick kissed her hand sweetly and simply declared 'Anything for you, my sweet.' They went on discussing their wedding plans and the arrangements that they still had to make before the actual day for the duration of the walk.

Mr Stringer and Alison's conversation was not as free flowing as Frederick's and Anne's. He was in fact so nervous and tongue tied that they went without speaking to each other for at least 5 minutes. In the end Alison decided to take the bull by the horn and enquired after his discussion with Mr Nash.

He looked at her with such tenderness that this earned him a smile from her. He wasted no time to wax lyrical of his admiration for the gentleman's skill and the discussion that they have had. Alison could not contain her joy on their conversation- a joy that made her whole being glow and her eyes as bright as sunshine. Neither Mr Stringer nor the rest of the party missed how flushed both their cheeks were and how they could not hide their feelings even if they tried.

Lady Susan and Mrs Heywood exchanged a happy smile and a nod at the sight of Mr Stringer and Alison which Charlotte and Emily shared with them. The men in their walking party, Mr Nash and Mr Heywood who were looking at them and the young lovers, were trying very hard to suppress their mirth. All of them were truly happy for the prospect of a future union between them.

Mr Heywood was enjoying his private time with his wife. Their large family did not always allow them this much private time together, so they both took full advantage of this opportunity. They talked about their children, their plans and Mrs Heywood asked him in more detail what was happening at their farm.

Mr Nash was also having a great time. He had two beautiful ladies, Lady Susan and Emily, on each arm and he felt a very lucky man indeed. Lady Susan was a beautiful and shrewd lady, whom he had always admired, and Miss Emily was a breath of fresh air. She was a demure, polite, non-pretentious and knowledgeable young lady on many topics such architecture, art, books. All three of them lost no time in discussing their favourite poets and authors which was most satisfying.

The whole walk proved to be most pleasant for everyone. When they reached the picnic place, the children were still asleep, so the adults took the chance to take them back to the hotel to rest properly. They all helped carry at least one sleeping child and the picnic provisions and some of the retired to the hotel and others to their perspective residences for a well-earned rest.


	25. Rock Bottom

Whilst the Heywood clan was resting, the dwellers of Trafalgar House were in an uproar. The afternoon was already upon them and Tom was nowhere to be seen. The Parker siblings, Mr Thompson and Mary looked in every room in the house, and they simply could not find the man anywhere. The whole situation was exasperating to them as each member of the household wanted this meeting over and done with to get on with their own affairs.

On the one hand, Sidney was fretting over his meeting with Mr Heywood, and he was scared that his useless eldest brother would be a block to his happiness yet again. On the other hand, Arthur wanted to spend some time with Miss Emily, and he was obviously daydreaming, Diana also wanted to clear up this whole Sanditon mayhem and share her good news with her family.

Mary was faring no better in her bedroom, where she was slowly and deliberately filling two trunks- one with her own clothes and another one with the children's clothes,

She had never felt so angry with her husband before today. She was in fact angrier than she had ever been in her life. She told herself that if he did not show up for the family meeting within one hour, she would send a note to her parents and tell them that she would be joining them with the children. She has had enough with his broken and empty promises. She has reached her limit at last!

Mr Thompson also wondered how it was possible for a man to care so little for his family. They saved him from all manner of scrapes. Yet what does he go and do? He doesn't even show up for a prearranged meeting to resolve the issue like a man. He thought to himself that Mr Thomas Parker deserved everything he got at this stage.

Time kept ticking away mercilessly very much so against Tom Parker and his future. It was 13.30 in the afternoon and there was still no sign of him. Mary sighed resignedly and with tears in her eyes finished packing the last items of clothing in both the children's and her travelling trunk. She wiped her eyes and made her way to the study to write a note to her parents. There she found Sidney, Arthur, Diana and Mr Thompson who eyed her worriedly.

She was the first to address them all, 'Well, they do say that even the best laid plans can be hindered. Obviously, Tom still does not seem to care about anyone apart from himself. I have come to a very painful decision. I will take the children for a long visit to my parents. All the travelling trunks have been packed, and they are ready to be taken to the carriage. I am about to pen them a note and send it via messenger. I need a break from everything and everyone. I do not know what the future will bring, but I will no longer be in my husband's beck and call.

Diana, I will leave you to manage the household expenses for the Parker properties. You know what we have discussed and how I do things. Sidney, I will leave you my parent's address so that you know where to reach me. Do also bring the children back here from the Heywoods. Arthur, please go to the bakery and get us a basket of food for the trip as the cook is to be out until dinner time today. Mr Thompson, please present my husband with the legal documents to release him from the Sanditon management for the foreseeable future.'

The whole room was dumbfounded at Mary's speech. They were so engrossed in listening to her that they did not notice Tom standing at the sitting room entrance as still as a statue. For once in his life he could not utter a single word. When he finally managed to speak, he stuttered his wife's name aloud.

The room turned to face him. Nobody said anything. It was as if they were the spectators to a long- awaited drama with Mary and Tom being the main actors. Mary turned to face her husband, looked him up and down with a cool, calculating eye and said with an icy voice,' Mr Tom Parker, I am leaving you. You are a liar and a coward. You only care for yourself. By the way, I forgot your present.'

She walked up to him and slapped his right cheek with all her might, 'This is for Charlotte and Sidney. You have ruined their life and did not care for them' She then raised her left hand and slapped his left cheek, 'And this is for all your broken promises. Goodbye, Tom. You are on your own.' Tom had tears in his eyes and his cheeks still showed the imprint of Mary's hands. He was dazed.

She turned, hugged Sidney, Arthur and Diana, shook Mr Thompson's hand, took some paper and pen and left the room with the composure of a queen. Then, Sidney, Arthur and Diana gave Tom a look of contempt and followed Mary out of the room as well.

The three siblings first went to the bakery to make arrangements for Mary's food request. It was to be delivered to Trafalgar House within the next hour. None of them could speak their thoughts aloud. They were stunned! Sidney desperately needed to see Charlotte and Arthur craved to see Miss Emily just to lighten his heart. Diana just wanted to cry.

The two brothers then escorted an upset Diana back to the home she shared with Arthur and asked her maid to fetch her a soothing cup of tea. Once that has been achieved, they headed towards the Sanditon hotel.

The only person who remained in the room with Tom in Trafalgar House was Mr Thompson. He looked at the stricken man with the tear-stained cheeks. He should feel sorry for him, but strangely enough he did not. He brought this upon himself. He had hit rock bottom just like his father had done. It was time for him to rise like a Phoenix when he would be good and ready to do so. Therefore, he had no pangs of conscience about causing him further damage.

He spoke aloud, 'Mr Thomas Parker, I am representing both your wife, Mrs Mary Parker, and your siblings. As per your father's will, you have been stripped off the right to keep your inheritance due to your mismanagement of it. The Sanditon project is now under your siblings' and your wife's management. You will receive an annuity of £40 per month for your personal expenses and that is to be your only income.'

Tom found his voice and shrieked, 'You can't do this! This means I have nothing! What do I do?'

The family lawyer was inexorable, 'I can do this as my clients instructed me to do so. Please sign here, Mr Parker. Resistance is futile, I can assure you of that'.

Tom's face turned ashen. He really had no choice. He took up the pen the lawyer extended to him and signed away the rights of his paternal inheritance to his siblings without a word. No more Sanditon. No brothers, sister, wife or children to console him and prop him up.

The lawyer nodded, bowed formally and put the signed documents in his pocket. He bid Tom a good day and left Tom alone in the sitting room. Mr Tom Parker, a truly desperate man with nothing to lose, he made his way towards his wife's room to try to win her back. He had no idea how. Yet, he instinctively knew he had to at least try.


	26. True Love

_"One of the tests for longevity in a relationship is how issues are dealt with. Two people can fall in love, have amazing chemistry, compatibility, and be deeply connected at the soul level. And yet, love can be sacrificed on the altar of misunderstanding because of unhealed wounds and perceptions. Unless there is clear communication and a resolve by both partners to be understanding and recognize what is being triggered by ego, even the greatest love story can fall to pieces. At the end of the day, love is a choice. We get to choose whether we will fight for what we believe in, or to give up when the love-thief comes to try and steal the dream. True love is always worth fighting for." _

_ ~ Daniel Nielsen _

Tom reached his room at last and sat heavily on his favourite armchair. He was in despair! In a matter of minutes, he had lost his family, his parental inheritance, his siblings, his gentlemanly status, and his yearly income! He was horrified! Mr Thompson told him that he was to be given £40 per year, a labourer's fee. He was going to be ridiculed by the whole town and his workers!

He realised that he was well on his way to having a panic attack. He needed to think! He breathed deeply, first in and then out. He repeated the same pattern until he could feel his heart resume its normal rhythm. Only then did he go to the brandy decanter at the corner of the room and poured himself two fingers of the amber liquid, which he downed outright. He then replaced the glass on the tray carefully, went to sit on his desk chair, brought out of his drawer a blank piece of paper, and stared blankly at it as if he was expecting it to come to life and blame him as well.

Tom had never really been an introspective type of person. Yet, his current circumstances forced him to become one such person. He had to plan what he was going to do next. With a heavy sigh that could rival the most talented actor, he picked up the feathered quill, dipped it in the amber ink bowl, and drew a vertical line dividing the page into two vertical columns. He named the first column 'The future' and the second one 'The past.' His writing pace increased as he started filling in each column with his thoughts.

He outlined all that he had lost in the 'Past' column with brutal honesty. Once he was done with that column, he worked on the one for his 'future'. The first thing he wrote was £40 per year. He was disgusted with himself. Despite having just lost his entire family's respect and support, he wrote down the annual income he was to receive as well as ideas on what projects to use it on! He indeed was a despicably, selfish human being! He should be begging for his family's forgiveness, not thinking of himself!

Yet, for some reason, he felt free for the first time in years. He felt as if the heavy chains of obligation and duty had been lifted from his previously unaware weary form to allow him to heave a sigh of heartfelt relief. He realised that he had just been given a chance to find his real self again.

He wanted to find that young teenager inside him whose father had made him abandon his true passion of wood carving for the sake of finance and business. Tom was eager to nurture the love for his family again and take the world by storm on his own terms. He found it ironic on how similar he was with Sidney on that respect however whimsical the idea sounded to his ears. It made him smile despite his dire circumstances.

He looked pensively at the white ceiling. What did he love doing? He certainly loved wood carving and creating new figurines to delight his children. He also loved putting a smile on his wife's face. In which order though, he wondered? Carving first? Mary or the children? If he were honest with himself, he did not know. However, he would follow this instinct and find out.

His wife and siblings were providing him a clean slate. Suddenly feeling all energised, he started to add entries on the future column frantically. He wrote about his apprenticeship under his yearly income with a note to self to ask his friend about the payment terms. His pay would not be much, but it was something. He would be doing something that he loved. That put a bright smile on his face.

He kept on writing. His other concern was where he would live. Would his siblings and Mary allow him to live in Trafalgar House? He added the sentence on the paper and put a question mark next to it- that would be a question for Mr. Thompson.

More questions kept cropping up in his head. Mary! He needed to speak to her at his earliest opportunity. She said she would go to her parents. He would do his best to talk to her before her departure. If not, he could write to her- he would ask her.

What about his children? How would he see them? He would have no carriages or horses to travel. Travelling by post would have to suffice.

His siblings? He groaned at the thought of them. What would he say to them? Charlotte? The Heywoods? Lady Susan? All those thoughts were taking him towards a downward spiral again! Despair was creeping in! Positive thinking, Tom! Focus man!

His thoughts started drifting back to his childhood and inevitably on his childhood friend, James Smith. The thought of his friend made him smile more. He had at least one person to turn to. James Smith, his mother, and sister could be beacons of hope in this mess. He could confide in his friend. James would tell him what to do. He would ask him when he came to tea tomorrow at 15.00.

Suddenly he felt exhausted. It was still the afternoon. Yet he needed a good nap to regroup and make some sort of decision for his future. So off he went to bed!

It was not a restful sleep. Tom was tossing and turning, twisting the sheets on the bed in an erratic manner. His brow was sweating profusely, and agonising murmurs of Mary's and the children's names came out of his mouth. His dream was terrifying in its intensity when he found himself in an empty white room chasing after his wife and his children. They were fading away as if they had never been there in the first place. The moment they disappeared from his dream; he woke up bathed in cold sweat.

He knew just what to do. It suddenly dawned on him that he had never given Mary the chance to know him for real. He was ashamed to say that he kept his most innermost self from her even during their original courtship. She knew the visionary with the misplaced enthusiasm for Sanditon but not the real Tom.

He got up hurriedly, made himself presentable, and rushed to his writing desk. He started writing as if the demons of hell were behind him. For the first time in his life, he wrote an honest six-page-long letter to his beloved wife. He told her everything- all his insecurities, all his demons, his childhood sorrows, his father, and his expectations of him.

He also wrote to her about his most innermost feelings and his carving. How he loved it, and he would love to pass on his skill to the children and to her. He told her about his only friend and his family.

He, furthermore, wrote about his love for her and their children. He pleaded with her to be given another chance to win her trust back. He told her that he would start his apprenticeship, work on the burned apartments. He asked for an opportunity to court her again in whichever way she wanted. He expressed his wish to take them all on a picnic. He would do whatever she expected of him, providing she would only give him a chance to redeem himself. Whatever and however long it took to win her back.

At the end of the sixth page, he looked at the clock on the mantelpiece noticing that it had just gone 16.30. His hand ached from the effort of writing. He ignored the discomfort since it was no less than he deserved. He sealed the letter and put it on the side of the desk.

He had no idea where anyone was. He would take the risk, and his wife's justified wrath at him. If only she would read his letter. That is all he could expect at this stage. He would win one battle at a time. He sighed resignedly, washed his face, changed his attire, and went in search of his wife.

The house was airily quiet when he walked with leaden feet towards Mary's room. He knocked on the door quietly, but no one invited him in. He shuddered, bent his head, and put the letter under the door, hoping against hope that he was not too late.

Once the letter was delivered, he went back to his room. He had to make amends with his siblings. How? By letter? Perhaps. He realised that he had never really written to any of them as long they had known him. He hid from them as well. He had a lot of grovelling to do, and there was not even a guarantee that it would get him anywhere.

He wrote a letter to each of them, showing them his real self. He told them of things they never knew as he never took the trouble to tell them. He explained all about the apprenticeship and his intention to help with the rebuilding of the apartments. He apologised profusely to each of them in turn.

The most difficult letter for him to write apart from the one to Mary was the one to Sidney. He was horrified by how much he had taken Sidney for granted. He poured his soul in the letter confessing all he felt and expressed his sincere apologies for being the cause for him nearly losing Charlotte. He expected nothing of his brother.

Tom also realised that he never took the trouble to become acquainted with Arthur and Diana. He was amazed at his youngest brother. He had an uncanny knack to forgive. He was so jealous of that. And Diana? What did he know of his sister? Nothing! He dismissed her outright without a second thinking. His letter addressed to her was equally heartfelt. Well, at least in his opinion.

The clock indicated that it was already six in the evening. Tom realised that he had been writing for the past three hours. Oh, the damage he had wrought! After sealing the letters to his siblings, Tom picked another piece of paper to write to Mr Thompson. He had a clear head now, and the questions poured from him. He asked the solicitor about the income of £40 per year, what he could do with that and what he was not. That would be a start. It was necessary to know where he stood. That letter was also finished and sealed by half-past six.

The writing of the letters proved to be the easiest part, though. The tricky part was now to deliver them to their recipients and grow a backbone. He needed to take control of his life. He would go to Arthur and Diana's house and then to the hotel to speak to Sidney. He decided to go to the hotel first and square things with Sidney.

He stood up wearily, wore his coat, and placed the letters in the coat's inside pocket. He opened the door, and he was simply about to walk out of his bedroom when he spotted his sobbing wife on his doorstep. For what it looked like hours, they were standing looking at each other. He moved aside without a word, and she went into the room.

The silence between the two felt awful. Tom did by no means dare break it. Neither did Mary. It felt like a discreet truce after a long battle. She abruptly got up and picked up the small carved figure that he had fashioned. She gazed up at him and back at the small figurine of a woman with three children. She stroked it gently and then placed it back on the desk.

She kept staring at him as if she attempted to expose the hidden depths of his soul. He still dared not speak. He obviously did not know what to say. He waited her out patiently.

Mary finally said, 'I read your letter. What took you so long, Tom?'

He swallowed visibly and answered as timidly as he was able to, 'I was terrified you would consider it a weakness as other people have done. It has been beaten into me since I was five years that a man must conceal their feelings.

That is precisely why I took up carving. It turned out to be a way of expressing those repressed feelings in a generally acceptable way. Once that was taken away from me, I suppose that I just switched this part of me off up until it was resurrected a few hours earlier when I realised that everything was lost. I was required to reach out to the last few remnants of my sanity that I had left.'

She focussed her attention on his words and his body language. She understood that he was telling her the truth. She grasped that all that pretence to stay one step ahead of everyone was a safeguard strategy to save face. It was the only face that he had been tutored to share with the outside world and eventually herself. She discovered that this sad, humble, and vulnerable man in front of her was somebody whom she had not met before. The man in front of her turned out to be the real Tom. She needed to get to know him all over again.

She replied, 'This is a Tom whom I have never encountered. I would be an honour to make his acquaintance and get to know him. Still, I need a straight answer from you. Did you mean what you said in your letter to me? You would give up Sanditon?'

Faint hope flourished in his heart at her words. Could it be? Might he have yet another chance to win her trust and affection back?

He responded and moved his head up and down as excitedly as a child who is currently being given a treat, 'Yes, Mary, I meant it. My friend James offered me a carving apprenticeship and the opportunity to focus on my passion. It was everything I had ever wanted to do. Sanditon was an unfortunate pipe dream that I used as an outlet for my creativity. I allowed it spiral to my absolute disadvantage, and I would not listen to reason. I wish to follow my dream and spend additional time with my family. I hope to make it up to my siblings and fix any damage that I have inflicted. I will accept any terms and conditions you all set me. I want to make it up to all of you for the suffering that I have caused.'

She grinned at his words, 'Well, if this is the case, I look forward to getting to know you better then.'

He smiled happily at her and inquired cautiously, 'May I court again, Mary? Might we start again? Please?'

She nodded approvingly at his request thanking her lucky stars that she had not sent the letter to her parents yet, 'Yes, Tom, you may.'

The genuine joy on his face made her heart flutter anew, and she delighted at the feeling. She could not resist, so she went to kiss him. She took him by surprise at the outset but returned the kiss eagerly. They were happily employed in reacquainting themselves for the next couple of hours. They spoke about everything, and then they set the foundation to get to know one another again. All was out in the open—a tidy slate for them both for a new beginning with no hidden truths.

Thus, the sight of an over-attentive Tom towards Mary cheered the heart of hearts of Sidney, Arthur, and Diana when they brought the children back at Trafalgar House just after eight in the evening. The children were bundled up in their nursery, ready for their dinner. The siblings did not take the trouble to ask either parent as they felt that the family gathering was at last going to occur.

The meeting did, indeed, happen. Tom and Mary were in the sitting room when they caught up with them. Tom gave each of his siblings a letter to read along with the letter their father had given him. He asked them to read both documents before they talked.

All three siblings appreciated a calmer, happier Tom with no exuberant moods. It was a delightful change that they indeed approved of very much. They took their time to read their letters. In the meantime, Tom devoted his whole attention to his wife, trying awfully hard not to wince at his siblings' reactions to the notes.

He did not have to wait for a long time. Nothing was said at first. Sidney gave Arthur and Diana a small glass of brandy each and poured one for himself. You could slice the tension in the room with a knife. On the one hand, Sidney's black look of anger was highly visible to everyone. On the other hand, Arthur looked nervously between Tom and Sidney, trying to predict who was going to speak first. Finally, poor Diana had no words to express what she felt at present.

Moreover, Mary was observing everyone's reaction. She understood Sidney's anger. It was evident to her that he would have loved nothing better than to beat Tom within inches of his life just to feel better. Yet, his self-imposed self-control was impressive as it showed his respect for both hers and Charlotte's feelings.

In the end, Sidney looked at Mary questioningly. She tried to communicate her thoughts to him with her eyes, which made Sidney sigh resignedly. He rolled his eyes at her and nodded slightly. This was reason enough for her to smile widely at him.

Tom, Arthur, and Diana were puzzled at this silent communication between Mary and Sidney. They could not have known that Sidney was fretting because of how Tom had treated Mary. She was communicated to her brother-in-law in her own way that she had forgiven her husband and that they were trying again to build their marriage up.

Sidney understood the message loud and clear. He could see that Mary was happy, and that would have to enough for him for now. A slight smile on his lips told her that he was okay with this, and her returning smile confirmed her understanding. Only then did his anger relent enough to stop a further frown from marring his handsome face.

The room somehow became more cheerful as the tension subsided. Tom felt it as well to his relief. He looked at Mary, who smiled and nodded at him to go ahead. Tom was still terrified. Yet, he knew that he had to try.

'I am aware that neither of you may want to speak to me again after everything I have put you through. The letters I have given you will justify none of my actions. I wrote those epistles to show you how it felt to be me. I am by no means a perfect person. There is no such thing. However, I want you to get to know the real me. Please allow me to get to know you as well.

These are my plans. To start with, I will back off from the Sanditon project completely. I will then accept the carving apprenticeship that my friend James Smith has offered me. He will come to tea with his sister and mother at 15.00 tomorrow if you wish to meet him. He is my oldest friend—the one I had to give up at our father's behest.

In addition to the above, I want to help with the rebuilding of the apartments, learn how to build them from scratch and work with the workers. If that means a loss of stature as a gentleman, so be it. I was never one to start with if you judge how I have treated all of you.

To sum up, Mr Thompson mentioned that I would get £40 per year. That is good enough for me. I want nothing else.'

Arthur, Diana, and Sidney were stunned at Tom's speech. They have never heard him speak thus before. They looked at each other in surprise.

Sidney opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. The only words that came out were, 'How can we trust you after all you have done, Tom?' Sidney did not know it then, but he had voiced everyone's thoughts with his question.

Tom bowed his head as he had fully expected this question. He took the figurine he had carved from his pocket and put it in Sidney's hands. Sidney looked at him puzzled and asked again, 'What is this? Who made it?'

'I did, Sidney. That is where my passion lies. I will frankly admit that this carved figurine is no reason for you to trust me. However, I will go where my passion takes me. My passion is carving and my family. Losing those two would kill me. I will do no such thing. If my motives are selfish, then so be it.'

Sidney looked at the figurine admiringly and nodded at his eldest brother. He commented with a cheeky smile, 'Yes, I believe you are correct in that. You will not do that. By the way, you are rather good at this carving of yours. Charlotte asked me to convey her congratulations. She saw the figurine that you had carved for Alicja at the beach. I saw it as well. It was rather good.'

Tom blushed like a schoolboy, and that made the whole room erupt with laughter. It broke the ice, and Tom even joined in after getting over his embarrassment. Mary squeezed her husband's hand affectionately, and he looked at her with misty eyes.

Diana took courage and piped up nervously, 'As we are all sharing news, I have some to share. Dr Levinson has asked to court me. I admire him as well, so I have accepted. He will come to ask you, Tom, Sidney, and Arthur, formally once I tell him that I have shared the news to you. You see, my dear brothers, Sanditon enchanted him to such a degree that he wishes to make our town his permanent base to practise medicine.'

Mary shot up from her seat and went to hug her sister-in-law. She gushed, 'Oh Diana, that is such wonderful news! Congratulations!' The three brothers congratulated her heartily as well. They reassured their sister that they would be delighted to speak to her beau.

Sidney also felt that it was time to share his news with his family, 'Well, might as well tell you all. Charlotte has accepted my hand. She is to be my wife. It was all settled with her parents earlier today.'

The room erupted again with excitement. Mary and Diana each hugged Sidney and were beyond happy to gain Charlotte as a sister. Both Tom and Arthur shook a grinning Sidney's hand in congratulations.

The whole Parker family was joyful during their dinner this Saturday evening as they enjoyed more lively conversation and laughter than any other time in the past. It felt as if a black cloud had been lifted from their souls. It was true that they had to learn to function as a family unit again which would take some doing. However, neither of them had any doubts that good news all around would only encourage that process.

It was also the first time the three brothers spoke to each other on an equal and amicable basis. They kept the conversation to neutral topics. Tom grabbed his chance to give both Sidney and Arthur a quick carving lesson. Arthur enjoyed handling the wood and seemed quite skilled at carving simple small figurines.

Sidney, however, did not take to it too well. He accepted this defeat in good humour, laughing at himself for his folly. He finally recognised then what Tom meant about his passion for carving. He could see his eldest brother's face come alight with joy as he was explaining to them how to slide the knife on the wood. It was a joy to see.

Sidney himself had no interest in any sort of artistic pursuit which made any creative tasks feel like a chore. He could hardly imagine what his eldest brother went through, not being able to do what he loved. It gave him a better understanding of why Tom struggled with the financial side of the Sanditon project. It was a difficult task for him. Yet, it was not for Sidney. He loved numbers and the excitement that came with the solution of a problem. He reluctantly concluded that both Arthur and Tom shared the creativity gene more than him.

He also realised how astute in their observations both Charlotte and his future mother-in-law had been. Charlotte implored him to give his eldest brother another chance whilst his mother-in-law insisted that he should stay with his family this evening to clear the air. He felt right down to his bones that being a member of the Heywood clan would be the making of him.

Unaware of Sidney's ruminations, Mary and Diana rejoiced at seeing the three Parker brothers getting on so well. They thoroughly enjoyed discussing Dr Levinson, Charlotte, wedding plans, and whatever else came to mind without a care in the world. The evening came at an end with the promise that they would meet for tea tomorrow at 15.00. Arthur and Diana headed towards their house, Sidney towards the hotel and Tom and Mary towards their room.

A tired but happy Sidney reached his room where he found Charlotte's note under his door asking him to join her family and Lady Susan for breakfast tomorrow**.** The thought of seeing her again so soon made him grin widely. Oh my, he was besotted, and he loved it! He could not help thinking about what happened when he was at the hotel.

He remembered both Arthur's and his dejected moods as they walked in the hotel lobby. They were a bundle of nerves as they thought of the children. What would they tell them?

Their grim fears must have shown on their faces when they met Charlotte coming out of the sitting room. Their worried faces made her blood run cold, and she ran to them. Despite being like a cat on hot bricks, Sidney's heart missed a beat upon the sight of his love. He took her hand, kissed it gently, and guided her to the hotel's sitting room.

They saw the Heywood and the Parker children playing happily at the end of the room and the adults having a pleasant conversation. There was an empty space between Lady Susan and her mother. He whispered in Charlotte's ear that he would explain shortly and pleaded with his eyers for her to sit between the two ladies. His gesture did not reassure Charlotte in the least. It only made her anxiety since she was already on pins and needles from the urgency to find out what had happened! Lady Susan and Charlotte's mother eyed him suspiciously. The last thing they wanted was to see Charlotte relapse due to excess distress. In the meantime, Arthur went to sit next to Miss Emily instead.

Sidney addressed Mr Heywood 'Mr. Heywood, sir, might we have a word in private for a moment?' To start with, Charlotte's father looked at his prospective son-in-law for a long moment. The young man displayed a calm façade which was marred by his troubled brown eyes and his slightly hunched back. Mr Heywood then directed his gaze at Charlotte's pale and anxious face.

It did not take him long to arrive at his decision. He asked the nursery nurses to take the children upstairs and Lady Susan if she could please stay with Arthur and Emily while Mrs Heywood, Charlotte, Sidney, and himself went to the private sitting room upstairs.

Lady Susan assured Mr Heywood that she would do his bid and Arthur sent his brother an encouraging nod in return. Sidney gave his younger brother a pained look accompanied by a sad smile. The interactions between the two brothers made Charlotte panic, even more, making her face seem paler and more pinched than usual. Eventually, the children were safely ensconced in their bedrooms, so the Heywood parents, along with a very pale Charlotte and a silent Sidney, headed towards the private sitting room.

Lady Susan decided that some tea would benefit everyone in question. Therefore, arrangements for tea were made, and fresh tea was delivered to the sitting room where she was with Arthur and Emily, upstairs with Charlotte and Sidney, and snacks to keep the children happy.

She had the sneaky suspicion that it was going to be an exceptionally long wait. Well, there was nothing for it. She would cherish the opportunity to enjoy Emily and Arthur's company. Might as well aid this fledgeling romance.

At this stage she would do anything to distract her from seeing Charlotte's blanched face earlier. She had no idea how Alison and her mother had dealt with their feelings during Charlotte's unconscious state. That was her last gloomy thought before the refreshments arrived, and she started discoursing with the two young people under her supervision.

The solemn party upstairs had only just entered the Heywoods' private sitting when a maid came in with refreshments. Mrs Heywood poured for all of them, and they enjoyed a slight repast while dancing around the elephant in the room. Nobody dared mention anything until they fortified themselves with food and drank each for their own reasons.

Sidney was both as nervous as a schoolboy now that the time came to ask Charlotte's parents for her hand in marriage and anxious about imparting to them the latest developments at Trafalgar House. Unbeknown to him, Charlotte and her parents were stilling themselves for bad tidings.

Mr Heywood eyed Sidney with a demanding look, making Sidney adjust his necktie as it suddenly felt too tight. He decided to go for it like a man. He addressed Charlotte's parents, 'Mr. and Mrs. Heywood, I... would like... to ask for Charlotte's... hand in marriage.'

He felt even more nervous, but he bravely went on, 'I love her deeply. She has agreed to marry me, and we... would like... for your blessing.' The tension immediately disappeared, changing to unbridled joy in Charlotte's chest. So much, so that happy tears started pouring from her eyes. Charlotte grinned at her fiancé widely and went to sit next to him, placing his free hand firmly in hers. He looked up at her lovely face smiling back at her. They then faced her parents together.

Both her parents were overjoyed to give their consent, making Charlotte get up from her seat to hug them warmly to express her delight at their blessing. Sidney felt as if he had narrowly missed being shot down. His relief was so palpable that his wide smile was covering his whole face. Both Mr and Mrs Heywood welcomed him to the family with open arms.

Once the excitement subsided a bit, Charlotte went to sit next to Sidney. She noticed that his smile faltered, and he became more solemn. She asked him gently, 'Sidney, what is it? Tell us.' She gave him a reassuring smile, took his hand in hers, and squeezed it. He was one lucky man to have the chance to have his wonderful Charlotte!

He raised his head and told them what happened at Trafalgar House. He told them about Mary's decision and Tom's reaction.

Silence fell in the room until Mrs Heywood said, 'I believe there are some crossed wires between Mr and Mrs. Tom Parker. Speaking from experience, it may be best if we let sort them sort this out amongst themselves. The situation at Trafalgar House does mean, though, Charlotte dear, that you may have to sleep here are the hotel tonight.

Let us do this. Shall we wait until dinner time? The Parker children can stay here with us for the time being. There is no need to upset them unnecessarily. Our children, Mr. Heywood, get on with them like a house on fire. There is no fear that they will keep them well entertained.

As for you and your brother Arthur, Sidney, you should judge how the situation pans out when you take the children back to Trafalgar House. If the issue remains unresolved, I will speak with Mary, and Mr. Heywood can have a stern word with your brother Tom tomorrow. We are to be family, after all, and we will do what we can to help them.'

Mr. Heywood commented, 'That is a wise plan, my dear. Well, then, since that is out-of-the-way, there is something else to discuss. Something that we will need to help us with, Sidney.'

Sidney was somewhat puzzled at this remark, 'Anything I can do, sir, I will do. How may I be of help?'

Both Mr and Mrs Heywood at each other briefly, exchanged a loaded look full of concern and the dye was cast. Mrs Heywood took out a signed letter from her reticule and gave it to Charlotte, asking her to read it in answer Charlotte's curious look. Sidney had an unbelievably bad feeling about this.

Charlotte broke the red seal and started reading. Her whole body started shaking like a leaf, tears were streaming from her eyes, and she fainted right there in Sidney's arms before anyone could stop her. The other three occupants of the room gasped at her reaction. Sidney was frantic, and he kept calling her name repeatedly. He looked helplessly at her parents, who looked broken-hearted, but they rooted on their seats. He was terrified, holding Charlotte's limp body in his arms- he could not feel more helpless if he tried.

Mrs. Heywood asked him in a broken voice to lay Charlotte on the settee. Her unspoken message was that she wanted him to speak with her husband while she attended to her daughter. Sidney did as he was told without a word of complaint. It helped that the sofa was only a few feet away from him, so he always had a view of her pale face. Having her on his line of vision reassured him a bit but not a lot. Both men watched as Mrs. Heywood brought a wet cloth to put on her daughter's forehead. She thus proceeded in whispering to her daughter and asking her gently to regain consciousness.

Mr Heywood looked at his son-in-law, gave him the letter, and waited for him to read it. As soon as he finished reading, Sidney looked up at his father-in-law with a frown on his face. He could only ask, 'Who is this uncle David? Why did Charlotte react this way?'

Mr Heywood explained that David was one of Mrs Heywood's brothers who lived in the West Indies. The family was concerned about his wellbeing as none of them had had any news of him until Frederick and Anne brought them the news of his death. David died a year ago after being struck down by yellow fever.

Mr Heywood expanded further upon the £130,000 inheritance for the Heywood family and how it was divided amongst them. The patriarch clarified that Charlotte had now a dowry of £10,000 and a further £10,000 that she was to use for the purpose of founding either a school or a library at a place of her choosing.

He also expanded upon how important her uncle had been in Charlotte's young life and the bond they had shared.

He concluded by saying, 'You see, Sidney, Charlotte's reaction to the news is what we were afraid of when we broke the news to her. That is why we waited to tell her until we consented to your match with her. She loves you too much to leave you in her own volition. We hope that this emotional link between the two of you will not let her slip away from us again. You saved her once before, so you are the only one who can bring our daughter back to us again. That was what we wanted your help with earlier.'

Sidney only agreed in the affirmative. Mr Heywood looked at his worry-stricken wife, who understood and departed from the room along with her husband. Sidney ran his hands through his curly hair. He kept thinking to himself how he was to bring her back. He could not lose her. Not now or ever, for that matter! Not when their future was just beginning.

He ran to her. The first thing he did was remove the cold compress from her forehead and lift her in his arms. He then sat her on his lap with the arms around her upper body. He kissed the top of her head and started whispering of his love to her in her ears. He accentuated each love profession with loving kisses on her face and her lips.

He continued his ministrations for what it seemed hours to him when in truth, only fifteen minutes had passed. His attentions to her person seemed to have some effect as he felt Charlotte's breathing pattern change slightly. She seemed to awaken. He needed to be sure, though. Therefore, he started kissing her lips, applying more pressure. There was no reaction for the first five minutes, but to his joy, she started kissing him back as if her life depended on it. He deepened the kiss, responding to her need of him. Their need to taste each other was insatiable.

He tried to control himself, but her kisses were driving him to distraction. His original restraint was gone. He lifted her skirt and allowed his hands to explore the silky skin of her thighs. This unexpected movement of his hands on her body drove Charlotte mad, and she intensified her kiss further. Her reaction to his kiss inversely caused Sidney to do the same.

Sidney then suddenly stopped his kiss to ask her briefly, 'May I show you Charlotte?' Charlotte knew just what he was asking. She nodded and continued kissing him fervently. Sidney deepened the kiss even further, which made her moan deeply at the back of her throat. He knew she was ready then.

He left his hand travel up her legs towards her centre and played with her folds. He moaned and whispered to her between kisses, 'Oh, my love, you are so wet for me.' She moaned at his words as his fingers kept agitating her further until she came right there on his lap and collapsed on his shoulder. He whispered loving words in her ear until their breathing became more regular.

In a hoarse voice cracking with emotion, he said, 'Your fainting fit has just made me age ten years. Please have mercy on my heart. The last thing I want to do is lose you when we can finally taste our happy future.'

Charlotte smiled faintly at his comment, thinking about what Dr Levinson had told her and how right he had been. She decided to share the wise doctor's advice with her fiancé.

She looked up at him, 'You see, I spoke to Dr Levinson about this during our seaside walk earlier today. He said that my condition would not go away. Yet, we can keep it under control. There would be occasions when my reaction to horribly unpleasant news would be as it was today. I cannot stop that from happening. He explained that if I have a motive to come back, then everything would be well. I would never leave you. I love you too much for that.'

Her words lightened his heart, which gave her a happy boyish-looking smile and another deep kiss she returned wholeheartedly. The kiss left them both breathless. She waited a moment before continuing her speech.

'Well, that was some kiss, my prince. If I get such a kiss just by relaying my doctor's advice to me, I wonder what I will get when I tell you this piece of news. Dr Levinson further reiterated that my heart condition would not stop us from having any children providing there was a doctor there to monitor my condition.'

She looked at his face transform into a visage of real joy. He could only utter, 'Truly, my love?'

She smiled widely and nodded at him, 'Yes, truly.' To which response, he proceeded to whisper in her ear what he would have done if it had not been for her parents and siblings nearby. She blushed prettily. She thought to herself that if what he did to her a moment ago was any sign of what was to come, then she would be a delighted woman indeed. He was as proud as punch from her pretty blush and could not help but kiss her again.

After a little while, he asked her about her uncle David. Her shoulders slumped. He kept her close to him and waited her out.

She eventually said, 'Uncle David shared my craving for travelling and adventure. He used to tell me the most captivating stories. We used to talk about any book that I was reading at the time, and he taught me to face life's troubles head-on.

His loss was a surprise to me. His request for me to start a school or a library, though, did not surprise me as much. It was one of my childhood dreams after seeing there was no school that our tenants' children could attend. I remember feeling indignant that they could not read or write.'

Sidney smiled at her. He responded, 'Always the revolutionary, my darling. What are your plans? What will you do with the money?'

She pondered for a moment, 'I am not sure yet. However, I know one thing. You should have an open mind when it comes to your brother, Tom.

You see, my love, Alicja, showed me a dolphin figurine that he had carved for her. It was truly exquisite. I have not seen such talent before. Your brother may not be the genius with figures that you are, but his woodwork talent is inspiring.

He deserves a chance to teach it to others. He will thrive on it. Listen to him and to his plans. Do keep in mind that I neither defend nor forgive any of his earlier actions as they have nearly destroyed us. Yet, I feel that I can understand him better. Will you try? For me?

I also know that it is better that I stay away from Trafalgar House until you know how things are there. My mother is right. You should spend time together as a family.'

He could never refuse her a thing, and she knew it full well. He sighed and said, 'Yes, my love, I will try. For you. Shall we call your parents?'

She nodded. Sidney lifted her gently, sat her back on the settee, put a blanket on her, and left the room to find her parents, who were found sitting in the sitting room with Susan, Arthur, and Emily. The room's inhabitants' worried faces gave him to understand that the Heywood parents have relayed what happened earlier.

He smiled at them and said, 'Charlotte is awake waiting to see you. I will give you some space and stay here.' Huge smiles erupted on everyone's faces. Mrs. Heywood ran to embrace him briefly and ran upstairs to her daughter. Mr. Heywood shook his hand firmly and said with a voice full of emotion, 'It is an honour to call you my son. I am forever in your debt. My Charlotte is a fortunate girl, indeed'. He then left the room himself to join his wife and daughter.

Sidney stood there, feeling a warmth feeling his chest, watching Mr. Heywood leave. His father-in-law's word filled a gap in his soul that he did not know existed- the lack of his deceased father. Arthur understood, though. He went to his brother and hugged him tightly, which made the ladies in the room all teary from observing the happy scene.

Lady Susan broke the emotional scene by offering Sidney some tea. He gratefully accepted the offer and told them about Charlotte's discovery of Tom's carving talent. Arthur was surprised, to say the least, Emily found the news fascinating, and Lady Susan wondered at the information. They chatted amicably for a while.

In the meantime, both Mr and Mrs. Heywood were spending time with Charlotte. The moment Mrs. Heywood entered the room, she went beeline to hug her daughter tightly. Charlotte enjoyed her mother's hug and reassured her that she was okay. To which statement, her mother exclaimed, 'Thanks to your Sidney, you are. I tried to wake you, but I had no way of doing so. God bless him!'

It was at that moment that Mr. Heywood came in and expanded on his wife's comment,' I could not agree with you more, my dear, that young man is worth his weight in gold.'

Charlotte blushed at her parents' comments, 'I could not leave him. I didn't want to.'

Her mother reassured her, 'We know, my sweet daughter. That is why we told you the news of your uncle's death when he was in the room with you. There was no easy way to break the news to you in a good way. We felt that having him in the same room with you would give you a fighting chance to recover.'

Charlotte promised her mother that she understood. She proceeded to enquire about the inheritance details. Her parents were more than happy to enlighten her. She was, in truth, relieved that her siblings' future was now secured. She breathed a sigh of relief at the thought.

The three of them discussed all the plans and details that were already underway. In the end, Charlotte's father said, 'Now that you are aware of your uncle David's death, we can tell the rest of your siblings. Only Emily and Alison will know of their change of fortune. It will not matter so much for the rest of your siblings as they are too young.'

Charlotte agreed to that. She asked hopefully, 'Could we join the others downstairs?' Her parents nodded as if they had already expected the request to come well before now. All three of them rose and went to join the others at the main hotel room downstairs.

Sidney rejoiced to see her on her feet and escorted her to sit on the sofa next to him. Her parents left them to it to enjoy another cup of tea. The conversation flowed effortlessly into the room. Sidney and Arthur enjoyed an enjoyable visit with their lady loves until it was time to take the children back to Trafalgar House.

Charlotte could feel Sidney's unease. She looked up at him, encouragingly and squeezed his hand tightly. They could do that as they were engaged to be married. Arthur and Emily could not. This notion ate them up in secret as they could feel their feelings grow. All Emily could do is express her belief in the kindest words she could to Arthur. Arthur appreciated it all the same. He made a promise to himself to speak to Miss Emily for a courtship soon.

Mrs. Heywood asked the maid to inform the nursery nurses to bring the Parker children in the sitting room. All three children were exuberant in seeing their uncles. They chattered endlessly on the short way to the house.

Sidney chose to hold on to Alicja's hand with an ulterior motive. He wanted to see what Tom had carved for her. After solemnly promising to keep it a secret, the little girl took the figurine from her pocket and placed it in his hand. His Charlotte was correct. It was exquisite.

Who would have thought that Tom would have it in him, indeed! Wonders would never seize! He passed the figurine on to Arthur, who looked up at him in surprise and nodded in answer to his brother's unspoken question.


End file.
